Heroes and Villains, Sinners and Saints
by Hidge
Summary: The Second Wizarding War has officially begun. Draco Malfoy has taken the Dark Mark. The time has come to choose between what is right and what is easy. But the line between hero and villain, and sinner and saint, has never been more blurred.
1. The Unbreakable Vow

**A/N**: Hey guys! I'm back and really excited about this story. For those of you who are fans of _If It Kills Me_, I would like to say that this story is a lot different but I hope that it is just as well received. Essentially, this story is a rewrite of HBP with a lot of twists and turns.

I have given it a General rating because it will have a little bit of everything. It is a war fic so there will be violence and overall creepiness. There will also be humour, romance, hurt, angst, drama etc.

This is a Hermione/Draco story but there will be an intense love triangle, so if that's not your thing then you've been warned. There will also be numerous other pairings.

This story will be told mainly from the perspectives of Hermione and Draco but there will be other perspectives as well, such as Harry, Ron, Theodore Nott, Snape and a host of others. A change in time or perspective will be represented by: *~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*.

Finally, this story is unbetaed. So, forgive any errors. Monday will be update day!

Enjoy! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 1 – The Unbreakable Vow**

Severus Snape watched from an upstairs window as a tall, slim, elegant witch walked down the dingy street, casting cautious looks in either direction, praying that there was no one else around. Deserted brick houses and broken streetlamps of a rundown Muggle neighbourhood surrounded her and an abandoned mill loomed ominously over the hill. She couldn't have looked any more out of place. The woman had once possessed an almost ethereal beauty that had diminished due to the stress of war and parenting. Her good looks remained in her flawless skin, high cheekbones, and bright blue eyes but they were not as captivating as they had been in her youth. She was dressed in regal robes with her long, blonde hair flowing down her back and her cloak pulled up over her head, in as much of an effort to disguise herself as it was to shield her from the pelting rain and chilly mist.

Behind her trailed a boy of sixteen who also had his face obscured by the hood of a cloak. He walked with his head down and his hands stayed in his pockets. He was tall, pale, and blonde like the woman in front of him and there was no mistaking their relation.

The mother and son reached the very last house on the street named Spinner's End and it seemed to be the only house for miles that was inhabited, through a window they could make out a glimmer of light from a lamp.

The woman knocked on the door and waited eagerly for a response. She stood, still and silent, on the doorstep and strained to hear the faintest sign of movement from inside the home.

She must have heard the distinct creak of old floor boards before he opened the front door to reveal his thin and sallow faced framed with shoulder length, greasy, black hair. He looked like he hadn't seen sunlight or eaten a good meal in weeks.

He acted pleasantly surprised by the presence of his guests. "Narcissa! I wasn't expecting you," he peered over her shoulder, "or Draco."

She lowered the hood of her cloak and there was no mistaking the exhaustion and distraught in her expression. "Severus," she greeted him in a faint whisper. "I need to speak with you. It's urgent. May we come in?"

"Of course." He pulled the door wide open and allowed them to pass him and step into the house.

He closed the door and turned into the sitting room where Narcissa and Draco Malfoy were waiting for him. They removed their sodden cloaks and cast them aside. He gestured for them to sit down and Narcissa anxiously perched herself on the end of the old, worn out sofa while Draco elected to remain standing. The young man was looking around the small room, which was covered from floor to ceiling in books, with feigned interest.

Snape slowly sat down in the armchair in the corner of the room and faced his guests. Narcissa's hands were trembling in her lap and she looked like she could use something to calm her nerves. "Would you like something to drink?" He asked hospitably.

"Please," she nodded.

Snape pulled his wand out of his black robes and summoned a bottle of wine and three glasses. The wine poured into the glasses and gracefully soared into each individual's waiting hand. Narcissa seized her glass in her shaking hand and downed half of its contents immediately while Draco sniffed the alcohol before taking a small sip.

"Now," Snape began once he finished his glass of wine. "What can I do for you?"

"We are alone, correct?" Narcissa asked quietly.

It appeared as if she had learned a few things over the years and was not leaving the possibility of being overheard to chance. This meeting was much too important to her.

"Yes, of course," Snape reassured.

"I'm sorry to come here unannounced Severus, but I didn't know who else to turn to," she confessed. "Lucius is in Azkaban and Bella keeps telling me that I ought to be proud. She thinks it a great honour." But judging by the look of despair on Narcissa's face, she did not agree with her older sister Bellatrix. She turned to look at her son and she let out a small sob. "He's my only child and he's just a boy," she cried.

Understanding and comprehension dawned on him. "Ah, you've come to me because of the Dark Lord's latest request."

Narcissa nodded in confirmation.

Now that the reason for the unexpected visit was out in the open, Snape mused over the fact that he was unsurprised by Narcissa Malfoy reaching out to him. He had been present at Draco's initiation into the inner circle of Death Eaters. He had watched the Dark Lord give the sixteen-year-old the Dark Mark. He knew of the Dark Lord's special plan for Draco and as much as the Dark Lord desperately wanted the outcome to be achieved, it was a mission to punish the Malfoy family above all else.

"I cannot persuade the Dark Lord to change his mind, Narcissa."

"But Severus," she gasped. "My only son. He had no idea what he was getting himself into," she stated passionately. "This is just vengeance for Lucius' mistake, I know it!"

"I happen to agree with you," he drawled slowly. "But entering into service for the Dark Lord is not something that should have been taken lightly!" He scolded Draco but the boy remained silent.

"I…I..." Narcissa began to sob once again. "I have nowhere else to go…I don't know who I can trust…you are Lucius' oldest friend…you are Draco's godfather…you are close to powerful wizards," she hinted. "I need to know that Draco is protected while he is at Hogwarts and afterwards."

Snape stared at Narcissa for a long moment without speaking. His cold, calculating eyes penetrated into hers and she was aware of what he was doing but she returned his gaze. She had nothing to hide. Her request may not have been plain to Draco but it was to him. She was asking for Dumbledore and her mind showed that she had no motives other than protecting her family. He knew that Narcissa Malfoy was not a Death Eater. She may play the part of the aristocratic, pure-blood, house wife perfectly but she had no urge to serve the Dark Lord.

"You seek _protection_?" He finally asked her.

She nodded again and took another unsteady sip from her glass.

"Then it may be possible for me to…help…but," he paused, "I'd like to hear Draco's thoughts."

Draco made eye contact with his godfather and Potions master for the first time since he entered the house. It was easy to tell that the boy did not want to be here.

"I just want it to be over. I thought that taking the Dark Mark would set everything right between the Dark Lord and my family. I was foolish and childish."

Snape pursed his lips. "Yes, you were."

"I know that he will not hesitate to kill me and my family if given another reason," Draco continued. "But I know that I cannot do what he has asked of me. It's an impossible task."

"Do you think that you can help him Severus? Protect him?" Narcissa interrupted.

"I can try," he responded carefully. "What will you give me in return, Draco?"

The young man looked startled. He had not been expecting that question but he answered it exactly how Snape expected. It was the same answer he had given Albus Dumbledore to the same question fifteen years ago.

"Anything."

He looked at Draco shrewdly. "You will make the Unbreakable Vow?"

"Yes," Draco nodded without hesitation.

Narcissa sobbed again, this time out of joy. "So you will protect him?"

Snapped nodded and got to his feet. She cried even harder and he grimaced in discomfort. "Narcissa, please, you will need to be our Bonder."

She wiped at her teary eyes and took a few deep breaths. She needed to be composed to perform the important, intense spell.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Snape walked towards Draco and stood a foot in front of him so that they were face to face. Draco was a head taller than Snape but he was still intimidated by the older man. He knew that Snape was a powerful wizard who knew a lot of great magic, both light and dark. He had a presence that commanded respect, or at the very least fear.

"This will be dangerous Draco," he said truthfully, "as the only way to protect you now is to bring you to the Order of the Phoenix, but no one stops being a Death Eater so you will do your best to do what the Dark Lord has asked."

Narcissa gasped, "Severus, are you saying that he'll have to be a spy."

"In a certain capacity, yes."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "So what Aunt Bella believes is true then? You've been Dumbledore's man all this time?" He had to admit that he had never actually suspected Snape of being a traitor.

"Yes," he finally confessed. "And that will not leave this room and the Unbreakable Vow will see to it."

Snape held out his right hand in front of him and Draco did the same. They grasped each other just beneath the elbow and Narcissa stood beside them with her wand poised and ready.

Draco carefully spoke the words that his mother dictated to him. After all, the wording was the most important aspect of this particular spell.

"Will you, Severus Snape, guide and teach me as I attempt to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes and any other assigned tasks?"

"I will," spoke Snape.

A thin flame sparked out of Narcissa's wand and wrapped itself around their entwined arms. Draco noted that it was hot and irritating but he dare not pull away.

"And will you, to the best of your ability, protect me from harm?"

"I will," Snape echoed.

A second flame emerged from the wand and entangled with the first to form a hot, tight, glowing chain.

"And will you, Draco Malfoy," Snape started calmly, "be honest with me and your assigned Order of the Phoenix contact at all times?"

"I will," Draco whispered and he watched as a third flame joined the other two on their arms.

"And will you keep the knowledge that you have gained in this room and will gain in the future between only trustworthy parties?"

Draco swallowed nervously. He knew that that statement was an overarching way of saying that if he betrayed Snape to the Death Eaters then the Vow would be broken, and he would die.

"I will," he finally responded. This was his only way out.

A fourth, and final, flame erupted from his mother's wand and twisted around the others as it magically sealed their agreement. It felt as if they were held together by a writhing, fiery snake as the flames weaved over their arms before they finally stopped and cemented themselves with a distinct cooling sensation. The two men stayed within each other's grasp for another moment before Snape pulled away first. Draco held his arm straight a little longer and flexed it experimentally; at least the burning didn't linger, unlike his left forearm. He had cried himself to sleep in his mother's arms the night that he had received the Dark Mark. The pain had been absolutely unbearable.

Narcissa beamed at Snape with tear filled eyes. "Thank you Severus."

Snape waved his hand dismissively. "Draco, you now shoulder much more responsibility…as do you Narcissa," he added.

Draco pushed his shoulders back to stand at his full height and he held his head high, like a pure-blood should. "I'm ready," he said confidently.

He knew that Snape was less concerned about his mother. The Dark Lord's most faithful Death Eaters did not perceive her as a threat and they would not suspect her to be a traitor. She was a witch who was more than capable of handling herself and she seemed to possess a natural gift for Occlumency, which certainly came in handy when keeping things from the Dark Lord. A gift that he hoped she had passed on to him.

Snape merely nodded at Draco and muttered, "We will see."

"Severus, I don't know how I'll ever repay you for this," Narcissa whispered thankfully.

"Do not worry about that now Narcissa," Snape said rather harshly. "I think Draco should stay here for a while. We need to train and prepare. The Dark Lord will be thrilled to learn that I have taken Draco under my wing."

"Yes, of course," she replied quickly. She leaned toward Draco and kissed him affectionately on the cheek. "Come back to the Manor this evening and we can pack a few things for you."

"Okay Mother," he agreed.

Narcissa placed a hand on Snape's arm and squeezed it gratefully before donning her cloak again and stepping back out into the rain.

Draco waited to hear the sound of the door close behind his mother before he eagerly asked. "Where do we start, Professor?"

**A/N:** I assure you that this will not be your typical "Draco is a spy" fic. Please review! :)


	2. Back to the Burrow

**A/N: **A big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I am sorry for the week's wait but I just returned to university so things have been hectic.

Enjoy the update and forgive all errors! :)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 2 – Back to the Burrow**

A loud crack broke the night time silence along the outskirts surrounding the village of Ottery St. Catchpole as a boy Apparated into the yard of a rather unique home on the arm of a tall, elderly wizard with a long, silver beard and half-moon spectacles. The sixteen-year-old had grown at least four inches over the summer and was beginning to grow out of his boyish looks, although his black hair was still unmanageable and he still wore his glasses.

In the Muggle world they would simply be viewed as an eccentric older man and a young, carefree boy. However, in the wizarding community, they were two of the most recognizable people who had ever lived. Albus Dumbledore possessed a reputation and list of achievements that most wizards only dreamed about while newspapers had recently taken to naming Harry Potter the "Chosen One"…the only one capable of defeating the Dark Lord. He was further from being a carefree teenager than one could imagine. But he looked up at the house in front of him with pure glee. The Burrow, home of the Weasley family, was the strangest house he had ever seen with its several crooked stories and many chimneys, but it was the closest thing to a home that he had, next to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that is.

Harry smiled brightly and set off to walk across the yard towards the house but Dumbledore stopped him. "Harry, before we part, may I have a word with you? In private?"

He headed towards the old, stone outhouse that Mr. Weasley had turned into a shed for his children's broomsticks. Harry followed him, slightly puzzled but he did not ask any questions. He stepped into the small shed, which barely had room for two people, and Professor Dumbledore lit his wand to illuminate his smiling face.

There were a few uncomfortable moments where Dumbledore consoled him the best way that he could over the death of his godfather. The loss of Sirius was still a fresh and open wound for Harry and he hadn't talked about it a whole lot. He knew that the best way to honour Sirius' memory was to be a man of action and Dumbledore agreed with him. He would not continue to shut himself away like he had so far this summer.

Dumbledore's voice took on a much more serious tone when he spoke next. "You have been reading what the _Daily_ _Prophet _has been writing about you this summer I'm sure?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, and now everyone knows that I'm the one who…"

Dumbledore interrupted him. "There are only two people in the whole world who know the full contents of the prophecy made about you and Lord Voldemort, and they are both standing in this smelly, spidery broom shed. Now," he paused, "I think I am correct in saying that you have not told anybody that you know what the prophecy said?"

Harry shook his head.

"A wise decision, Harry. Although I think you ought to relax it in favour of your friends, Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger. Yes, I think they ought to know. You do them a disservice by not confiding something this important to them. And Harry, you must keep Miss Granger especially close to you this year."

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"You need your friends, Harry," Dumbledore answered. "Now, more than ever."

Harry wanted to ask questions. He wanted to know why Dumbledore expressly told him to stay close to Hermione, not Hermione _and_ Ron, but he stayed silent and waited for Dumbledore to speak again.

"Two more things before I go, Harry," his Professor smiled. "I would like you to take private lessons with me this year."

"Private lessons?" Harry repeated out of shock. "What will you be teaching me, sir?"

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that." Harry waited for Dumbledore to elaborate on the reason for these lessons but he did not. He moved onto another subject. "I will also introduce you to another who will be giving you lessons of a different sort but it is my hope that you will learn from each other. I wish for you to take Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger to some of these lessons; it will serve to be useful."

"Who is it?" Harry asked eagerly. Dumbledore was being even more cryptic than usual.

"The time will come to reveal that later," he replied casually.

Harry just hoped that it wasn't Snape. He knew that he couldn't handle private lessons with Snape again, especially now that he wouldn't have to suffer through Potions. He was not expecting to receive the 'Outstanding' in O.W.L. Potions that allowed him to move to N.E.W.T. level. He hoped to see Snape as little as possible this year.

Dumbledore left Harry with the parting messages of to keep his Invisibility Cloak on him at all times and to stay out of trouble while finishing his summer holidays at the Burrow. He walked him to the door and left once Harry was in the safe clutches of Mrs. Weasley.

The mother of his best friend fed him a delicious meal, Mrs. Weasley was the best cook that Harry knew.

As he ate, Harry spotted a large, bandy-legged ginger cat weaving around his legs and he smiled. Crookshanks' presence meant that Hermione was here too.

Mrs. Weasley sent him up to bed after he had finished eating and she told him that he could wait until morning to speak with Ron and Hermione. She showed him to Fred and George's room, the twins were now living in the flat above their shop in Diagon Alley, where his trunk and Hedwig were waiting for him.

It felt like he had just laid his head down on the pillow when he was awoken by someone bursting through the door. They pulled back the curtains and the sunlight hit Harry's face. He sleepily reached for his glasses and sat up in the bed.

"We didn't know that you were here already!" A familiar voice bellowed excitedly.

Harry finally managed to find his glasses and put them on, and his two best friends quickly came into focus. Ron Weasley was standing above him, grinning, and Hermione Granger was sitting down on the end of the bed. He could see that he was not the only one that had changed since they left Hogwarts for the summer. Ron had grown at least as much as he had so he was still taller than Harry, his chest had broadened, and his red hair was longer. As for Hermione, she had finished becoming a woman, and he had to note that his closest female friend was quite a nice looking woman too.

"When did you get here? Mum's only just told us!" Ron beamed.

"Late," Harry croaked drowsily. "About one o'clock in the morning I think."

"You alright? Did the Muggles treat you okay?"

Harry grinned at Ron's questions. "Same as always. How are you? And you Hermione?"

"Pretty good, mate," Ron replied.

"I'm fine, Harry," Hermione answered with a small, sad smile. "I came here a few days ago."

Harry knew that Hermione was looking for him to show outwards signs of grief over Sirius' unexpected passing but right now he just wanted to act normal with his two best friends.

"So," Ron began with a mischievous grin as he sat down on the other bed in the room, "you were off with Dumbledore weren't you?"

"It wasn't that exciting. He just wanted me to help him persuade this old teacher to come out of retirement. His name's Horace Slughorn." Ron looked disappointed and Harry wasn't surprised, his explanation wasn't all that exciting. "But I do have a few things to tell you."

Ron looked excited once more and Hermione looked inquisitive.

Unfortunately they were interrupted by the youngest Weasley, Ron's sister Ginny. The redhead complained about someone who was getting on her last nerve while Ron defended the person in question. Hermione was sympathetic to Ginny's woes.

"Who are you talking about?" Harry asked confused.

His question hung in the air as the door to the bedroom opened and a young woman stepped inside carrying a breakfast tray, with Mrs. Weasley sticking close behind her. The young woman, four years older than Harry, Ron, and Hermione, was practically too beautiful to be real. She was tall with a thin, proportionally curved figure and long, blonde hair. Harry recognized her immediately as the part-Veela, French, Triwizard Champion Fleur Delacour. She was dating Ginny and Ron's eldest brother, Bill, and based on Ginny's complaints, she seemed to be staying at the Burrow for an extended period of time.

She greeted Harry pleasantly and told him the news of her and Bill's engagement. The usually celebratory announcement seemed to put a damper on the moods of the two Weasley women in the room but Harry, smartly, did not comment on it. "Congratulations," he smiled.

Fleur floated from the room with a brilliant smile on her face after placing the tray of breakfast foods on Harry's lap and kissing him on both cheeks. "Bye 'Arry!"

The Weasleys immediately began to debate the subject of Bill and Fleur's wedding. Mrs. Weasley felt that the mounting fear of Lord Voldemort played a large part in the impromptu nuptials. Harry focused his attention on his hot breakfast while the argument continued on even after Mrs. Weasley had left, with Hermione joining the fold. Harry suspected that she was irritated by the way that Ron lapsed into a daze whenever Fleur was around but he didn't dare to voice that thought either.

When Ginny was called down to the kitchen by Mrs. Weasley, the trio chatted about Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and an upcoming trip to their shop in Diagon Alley before Harry returned to the conversation that had been previously interrupted.

"So, Dumbledore's going to be giving me private lessons this year."

"Blimey!" Ron responded at once while Hermione gasped in surprise.

"Harry, why is he…?" She began softly but her voice ultimately trailed away.

Harry shifted uncomfortably in the bed but he answered her question honestly. It was Dumbledore's idea to tell them everything after all. He explained to them everything that Dumbledore had told him about the prophecy and every thought that he gathered for himself on the matter. Ron looked both amazed and puzzled while Hermione looked slightly frightened.

"We thought it might be something like this," she replied in a whisper. "Are you scared?"

Harry shook his head defiantly. "No…not anymore…well, not as much as I was when I first heard it…I always thought it might have to be me and him…in the end…"

"Maybe Dumbledore is giving you these lessons to prepare you," Ron told him in a rare moment of wisdom.

"Ron may be right," Hermione supplied. "I wonder what he'll teach you."

Before Hermione could go off on a tangent about the possible kinds of magic Dumbledore could teach him, he told them the other interesting thing the Headmaster had mentioned. "Dumbledore also told me that I will be going to lessons with someone else, but he didn't say who, and he said that he wants you two there. He thinks it will be useful." He purposefully neglected to mention Dumbledore's other cryptic message, the one about keeping Hermione close.

"That's kinda cool," Ron grinned.

"Hmm," Hermione pondered. "I wonder what they'll be about and who they'll be with." Forever the knowledge seeker, she began to sift through the possibilities. "Professor McGonagall?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "As long as it's not Snape."

Ron scoffed in agreement. "I think I'd quit Hogwarts. Can you imagine private lessons with Snape and N.E.W.T. courses?"

Harry chuckled but Hermione shrieked and hopped to her feet. "We should be getting our O.W.L. results back any day now!"

"Yeah, Dumbledore told me last night that they should be coming today," Harry replied.

Hermione began to fret about her O.W.L.s and Ron groaned loudly in protest. Harry smiled to himself, Ron and Hermione's predictable bickering and reactions to the subject of grades comforted him more than anything else. It felt nice to know that he could count on his two best friends for support and a little bit of normalcy. He had a feeling that he was going to need it and he hoped that nothing happened this year to drive the three of them apart.

**A/N:** Any ideas on who will be giving these mysterious lessons to the trio? Please review!


	3. Spinner's End

**A/N:** Back again and on schedule!

Just a reminder that this story is unbetaed. Enjoy! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 3 - Spinner's End**

Severus Snape burst through the door of the rarely used guest room in his barely lived-in childhood home. He roughly hauled the curtains open and the young man sleeping in the bed in the corner of the room groaned. "Get up and get dressed Draco."

Draco rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. "What time is it?" He mumbled.

"Quarter past six," Snape answered.

Draco groaned again and closed his eyes. He pulled the wool blanket up over his head and committed himself to falling back to sleep. "Oi!" He yelped as he felt all of the bed sheets yanked off of him and tossed onto the floor. The breeze from the window, which his godfather must have just opened, raised goose bumps on his bare, pale skin. He was clad only in a pair of black, silk boxers. He raised his head defiantly, fully prepared to sneer and snap at the older man, but he gulped when he met Snape's piercing stare.

"This is not your mother's home; I will not treat you like a spoiled, little brat. Now, get out of bed, get dressed, and meet me down in the kitchen. Breakfast is waiting. Take no more than twenty minutes," he added before walking out of the room.

Draco grumbled to himself as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and planted them on the cool, wooden floor. He stretched his aching back muscles and winced. He ran a hand through his hair and let out another low groan. He had never been a morning person and the bed that he had spent last night in was nowhere near as comfortable as his bed in the Manor.

He knew when he committed himself to the decision to not loyally serve the Dark Lord that what he was embarking on would be far from easy but he had not envisioned spending his remaining summer holidays with Severus Snape…staying in his home. The guest room that he now occupied was small, cramped, and dusty. The single bed was lumpy and had thin sheets and an itchy, wool blanket. The room also contained a bedside table, a small desk, and a wardrobe that was now full of his clothes. His Hogwarts trunk was placed next to the wardrobe and his sleek, black owl, Orion, sat in his cage on the desk.

The house was small. It consisted of two bedrooms, one bathroom, the sitting room that Snape used as a library, and a small kitchen. Draco was sure that the house itself could fit inside the drawing room of the Manor and the entire home was as uncared for as this bedroom. He had no idea why Snape still owned it when he spent nine months of the year at Hogwarts and could stay there for the summer too if he chose. He had never figured Snape to be sentimental.

Draco stood up and slowly padded to the bathroom. He washed up, dressed, and made it down to the kitchen in ten minutes. Snape was sitting at the table reading the morning's _Daily Prophet_ and there was one chair at the table across from him where a cup of tea and a plate of kippers, toast, and fried eggs waited. He took the empty seat and began to slowly eat his breakfast. Snape wasn't a terrible cook but this meal certainly wasn't up to par with the food at his home or Hogwarts. He added a spoon full of sugar to his tea as he read the front page of the newspaper that blocked Snape's face from his view. The paper was reporting the high profile disappearance of Amelia Bones, a disappearance that they both knew Death Eaters were responsible for.

"Do you always get up this early?" Draco asked awkwardly. He couldn't even remember the last private conversation that he had had with his godfather outside of Hogwarts.

Snape folded the newspaper and laid it down on the table. "Yes, and I know that you do not. Your mother tells me that in the summer you usually roll out of bed around noon."

"So what?" Draco sneered.

"So, you're lazy," he stated bluntly. "And that needs to change in order for you to do this. Discipline is crucial."

Before Draco could supply a rebuttal, Snape got up from the table and left the kitchen. When he returned he was carrying an armful of books. He set them down on the table in front of his godson. "Read these," he said firmly.

Draco stopped chewing his toast and put down his fork. He looked at the titles sitting in front of him: _Extreme Incantations_, _Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts_, _Secrets of the Darkest Art_, _Moste Potente Potions_, and _Occlumency and Legilimency: A Guide to the Mind_. "You want me to read all of these? I didn't realize I signed up for summer school," he stated incredulously.

Snape huffed, "You'll learn more in these six weeks with me than you have in the past five years at Hogwarts."

"But what am I learning all this for?"

"To survive," Snape answered as he swiftly slammed his hand down on the kitchen table. Draco's teacup shook as a result of the impact. "Surely even you can grasp the dangers surrounding someone who defies the Dark Lord? Better wizards than you have tried and failed."

The young man swallowed and looked rather sheepish. "Yes sir."

Snape lowered himself back down into his seat and looked at Draco seriously, but not unkindly. "You are a talented wizard Draco, but it will take a lot more than that to succeed in the situation that you now find yourself in. Most importantly, and since Narcissa informed me that you began to train with your Aunt Bellatrix, you will perfect Occlumency and non-verbal spells."

Draco nodded and resumed quietly eating his breakfast. He was actually looking forward to studying Occlumency and non-verbal magic with Snape, especially since he was already well practiced in both areas thanks to his Aunt Bella. Ironically, Aunt Bella wanted him proficient in Occlumency in order to keep Dumbledore out of his mind this year.

"Have you spoken to Professor Dumbledore?" He asked curiously.

Snape nodded. "I have indeed spoken to the Headmaster about your change of heart. I spoke to him yesterday evening while you were at the Manor."

"And?" He prompted.

"He was not surprised," he replied honestly.

"Really?" Draco asked with an eyebrow arched in scepticism. "Why?"

"He will explain everything when you return to Hogwarts."

Draco opened his mouth to ask more questions because surely Dumbledore had told Snape more than that! Unfortunately, a tawny owl tapping on the closed kitchen window distracted him.

"Awe," Snape began knowingly as he approached the window. "That must be your O.W.L. results." He unlocked and opened the window. The owl flew inside the kitchen and landed in front of Draco's plate. He stuck his right leg out and waited patiently for the boy to untie his letter.

Draco untied the letter and fed the owl a bit of his toast. He unhurriedly opened the envelope. The very last thing that he had been thinking about was how he did in his O.W.L.s and what courses he would be taking this year. He unfolded the parchment and looked over his results.

_ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS_

_Pass Grades: Outstanding (O)_

_Exceeds Expectations (E)_

_Acceptable (A)_

_Fail Grades: Poor (P)_

_Dreadful (D)_

_Troll (T)_

_DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY HAS ACHIEVED:_

_Ancient Runes: O_

_Arithmancy: O_

_Astronomy: O_

_Care of Magical Creatures: E_

_Charms: O_

_Defence Against the Dark Arts: E_

_Divination: A_

_Herbology: O_

_History of Magic: E_

_Potions: O_

_Transfiguration: O_

"Divination, what a joke," he scoffed as he laid the parchment down on the table. Overall, he was pleased with his results. He had achieved 'Outstandings' in all the courses that he really cared about. His one sore spot was that bloody Potter had thrown off his Defence Against the Dark Arts practical. He had to chuckle at his marks in Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic considering that he barely paid attention in either class. Usually he slept through History of Magic.

Snape picked up the piece of parchment and looked over his godson's results. "Well done, Draco," he complimented. "Eleven O.W.L.s and seven 'Outstandings'. These results are certainly good enough to be the top of Slytherin House."

Draco finished the last of his breakfast as he wondered how his mates, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, had done. He expected that they had done quite well because they were usually on the same level as him in their classes. Both of them had been in every one of his classes except Arithmancy and he imagined that they would have similar class schedules for the up and coming year. He felt that his thicker friends, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, had managed to scrape maybe an O.W.L. or two, if they were lucky. He would write them later, when he had a spare moment.

Snape took Draco's empty dishes and carried them to the sink. "Why don't you owl your mother about your results and then come down to the sitting room. We will start Occlumency."

"Yes sir," Draco nodded. He stood up from the kitchen table, grabbed the piece of parchment, and slowly walked up the stairs and into his temporary bedroom. He scribbled a quick note to his mother and enclosed it, along with his O.W.L. results, in an envelope. He opened Orion's cage and the owl gratefully hopped out and flew onto Draco's shoulder. He tied his letter to Orion's leg. "Bring it to Mother," he told Orion quietly before guiding him to the open window. He watched Orion until he was out of sight before leaving the bedroom.

They would now be starting training that he knew would be mentally and physically rigorous. Yesterday evening, after he had returned from the Manor, they had briefly discussed the Dark Lord and his most faithful Death Eaters before Snape told him to settle into his room and go to bed early.

He walked into the sitting room to find Snape standing with his back to him and his wand ready in his right hand. Upon hearing Draco's footsteps, he spoke, "Your mother is a natural, near perfect Occlumens; hopefully you'll pick up the skill as quickly and proficiently. Now, empty your mind and let's see how well Bellatrix has taught you." He whirled around quickly and pointed his wand at Draco. "_Legilimens_."

Draco staggered backwards when hit with the force of the spell but he quickly regained his balance and abruptly repelled Snape. His mind had strong walls now that could not be easily penetrated. His Aunt Bella had seen to that. As Snape lowered his wand, Draco took a deep breath and arrogantly asked, "How was that?"

"Good," he replied. "It seems as if you've grasped the basics. It will certainly be easier for you to learn what you need when you have the discipline to empty your mind."

"And what is it that I need to know?" Draco inquired.

"You need to be able to face a Legilimens, like the Dark Lord or Bellatrix, and open your mind to only what you want them to see," Snape explained. "You need to learn how to suppress only the thoughts, emotions, and memories that prove your disloyalty and leave everything else open for their viewing so that they believe that you are not lying or attempting to conceal anything. Closing your mind to them completely is suspicious so it is imperative that you develop this skill. If the Dark Lord detects even a hint of distrust or betrayal in your mind, he will kill you on the spot," he stressed.

Draco nodded gravely. He knew that Snape was not trying to be harsh or terrifying; he was simply telling him the truth. Even he knew that the Dark Lord would be almost glad to wipe his hands clean of the Malfoy family. He would have to grow accustomed to these constant reminders of death. It was the life that he had chosen to live, at least until this war ended.

Snape cleared his throat to bring Draco out of his reverie. "Let's start simple; I am going to delve into your mind for memories of your closest friends. Hide them from me. _Legilimens_!"

This aspect of Occlumency was much more difficult. His mind was completely open and it was hard to conceal anything. He couldn't focus. He could feel Snape is his mind, looking through memories of him at Hogwarts with his friends…

Him and Theo snickering at the back of Divination class…

Him and Blaise playing Wizard's Chess in the Slytherin Common Room…

Pansy on his arm at the Yule Ball in fourth year…

Him, Crabbe and Goyle arguing with Potter and Weasley…

Draco found himself on the floor of the sitting room when Snape finally relented. He slowly got to his feet and brushed off the knees of his trousers. He hadn't collapsed under the force of Legilimency since his very first lesson.

"Take a deep breath, focus, and let's try again," Snape instructed.

He nodded and did as his godfather and Professor said.

"_Legilimens_!"

**A/N:** I will not be totally changing Draco's personality in this fic. He's still going to be moody, snappy, and spoiled. Being in his position will definitely change his outlook on certain things but he will still be a little bit of an asshole...I think he's more lovable that way. Lol.

Question of the chapter: Why do you think Dumbledore is supposedly not surprised by Draco's change in allegiance? Please review! :)


	4. Diagon Alley

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay in updating but the lack of reviews for this story has made it disheartening to post weekly.

Once again, this story in unbetaed.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 4 - Diagon Alley**

Over the next few weeks, Draco remained at Spinner's End. It was far from the peaceful, lazy holiday that he had longed for. He awoke every morning at the crack of dawn, ate all of his meals with his godfather, spent hours on end practicing Occlumency, non-verbal magic and listening to necessary lectures. He fell asleep early every night after reading a few chapters in one book or another.

He made it to the Manor fairly regularly to visit his mother. He could tell that she was worrying about him but not a hair on her head was out of place and she was acting as if her husband wasn't in Azkaban and her son wasn't conspiring against the Dark Lord with secret Order of the Phoenix member Severus Snape. His mother was a poised, incredible woman. Unfortunately, trips to the Manor meant the unpleasant company of his Aunt Bella. She constantly spoke of how proud she was of him for serving the Dark Lord at such a young age. She was highly suspicious of Snape but as his godfather had predicted, the Dark Lord was thrilled with their arrangement. In light of his father's recent failures, Snape had become the Dark Lord's most trusted advisor and Draco couldn't believe how seemingly easily Snape deceived him. Draco's respect for the older man had grown over the weeks along with his magical ability.

Draco kept up with the news that the _Daily Prophet_ was reporting while knowing the real explanations behind the disappearances, odd accidents, and deaths. Most notably, Death Eaters had kidnapped Florean Fortescue and Ollivander. He had asked Snape what the Dark Lord wanted with Ollivander and he had responded by telling him that the Dark Lord wants to know everything about Potter and his wand.

One morning over breakfast, Snape gave him another healthy dose of reality when he told him that a few Death Eaters had hunted down and killed Igor Karkaroff, a traitor. Another reminder of what would happen to him if he was discovered.

On the first of August, he received his Hogwarts supply list, a reminder that he would have to go back to school on the first of September…in a month. These times seemed too dark and dangerous for something as normal as education but maybe exactly what he needed was some normalcy.

On a gloomy Saturday, Draco accepted his mother's invitation to go to Diagon Alley to buy his things for school. She needed an excuse to get out of the Manor and spend time with her son and Draco couldn't begrudge her the trip.

As they walked down the cobbled street, Draco scrutinized their surroundings. When he was a little boy he used to love going to Gringotts with his father on business and going into all the different shops with his mother. She always bought him a sweet at the end of her shopping trips. The street in his mind, which was colourful, vibrant, and energetic, was so much different from the one that they were on now. Shops were boarded up and there were wanted posters and Ministry notices posted everywhere. He saw his Aunt Bella sneering at him from all directions. There were stalls set up along the street selling so called "protection" from the Dark Arts. Draco couldn't help himself from sending disgusted looks towards the lowlifes who were trying to profit off of people's fear. No one stopped to exchange pleasantries; people did their shopping in small groups and kept to themselves. It was very disheartening to see a street that was once so lively and full so depressing now.

For Draco, the current state of Diagon Alley was another example of why this war needed to end.

"Didn't you want new robes, Draco?" Narcissa asked suddenly.

"Oh, yes," he answered. He had momentarily forgotten that he had asked for new dress robes for his birthday and they hadn't had a chance to look for what he wanted…for obvious reasons.

They walked into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and were pleasantly greeted by the witch owner. "Good day! How can I help you today?" Draco figured that she was thrilled to see customers because her business couldn't be as steady now as it used to be.

"My son is looking for a set of new dress robes," Narcissa told the witch.

Madam Malkin smiled and waved them forward. "Follow me." She led them to the large selection of wizard's dress robes. Draco looked through all the racks of dress robes in every shade and colour. "Are you looking for anything in particular, dear?" She asked him.

He shook his head while Narcissa answered, "You look lovely in green, darling."

He spotted a set of dark green, glittering dress robes. "I'll have these," he announced.

Madam Malkin beamed, giving him the impression that these dress robes must be quite expensive. "Excellent choice! Let's get you fitted!"

Draco took the dress robes off of the rack and pulled them over his head. They were quite long and rather big in the collar and sleeves. Madam Malkin took a handful of pins and a tape measure out of the pockets of her robes and began to hem the large sleeves. His mother watched his fitting patiently. He kept still and quiet while the seamstress did her work until she pricked his left forearm with one of her pins. The skin surrounding his Dark Mark was still incredibly sore. "Watch where you're sticking that pin, will you!" He snapped. Narcissa shot him a reprimanding look and he quietly muttered an apology. "Sorry, I have sensitive skin."

He heard the door to the shop open and close but paid no attention as Madam Malkin toyed with the sleeves a bit more before telling him to have a look in the mirror. He turned, spotted the large, full length mirror and strode towards it. He carefully examined how the robes looked on him before he spotted the reflection of three familiar faces over his shoulder. Potter, Weasley, and Granger had just walked into the shop. He sneered, narrowed his eyes, and felt a nicely placed insult rest on the tip of his tongue before he decided to keep his mouth closed. He figured that since he would now be working with the Order, he would at least have to refrain from insulting the trio at every turn. He certainly didn't have to like them though.

He noted that Potter and Weasley looked ready and eager to trade words with him, as well as hexes as they instinctively reached for their wands, but they stayed quiet too and were led to the other side of the shop by Granger. She seemed to have taken on the task of keeping the two Neanderthals' tempers in check.

He watched the three Gryffindors out of the corner of his eye. Potter and Weasley headed to the racks full of Hogwarts uniform robes while Granger looked through witch's dress robes. Potter and Weasley had both grown over the summer but he was still taller than both of them. Potter was still as skinny and untidy looking as ever while Weasley had added some weight and muscle to his frame.

Granger seemed different too but he couldn't quite put his finger on what had changed. She still looked like a prim, proper, snobbish know-it-all. He had to admit that with some of her characteristics she would fit in perfectly with the aristocratic, pure-blood society…well, if she wasn't a Mudblood. His eyes followed her as she moved on to another rack of robes. Her hair was less of a bushy mess but that couldn't be it, could it?

Madam Malkin was putting the finishing touches on his new robes and reached for his left sleeve again. "I think this sleeve needs to come up a little bit more, dear."

She stuck a pin into the material, and it was barely even making contact with his skin but he yelped. "Ouch!"

"Got a problem there, Malfoy?" Potter asked suspiciously.

"Not one that's any of your business, Potter," he retorted. He clutched his wand inside his robes.

Madam Malkin noticed this movement and she also noticed that Potter and Weasley had their wands ready in their hands. "I do not want wands drawn in my shop."

He couldn't help himself from goading them on, "Yeah, like you two would dare do magic outside of school."

His mother came to stand by his side and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now Draco," she told him warningly before turning to the other young men. "Put those away. If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever do."

Draco rolled his eyes. It was an understatement to say that Narcissa had grown even more overprotective of her only child since June.

"Really?" Potter began as he strode forward towards the two Malfoys and Madam Malkin, his wand still clutched in his hand. "Going to get a few Death Eater pals to do us in, are you?"

"Harry!" Granger scolded while Madam Malkin gasped.

"Why don't you just have a go now?" Potter continued. "I'm sure they'll be able to find you a cell in Azkaban close to your loser of a husband!"

Draco growled loudly and made a move to turn and advance towards Potter but his mother's grip on his shoulder tightened. "Don't you dare talk to my mother like that, Potter!"

Finally, Granger sidled up to Potter, grabbed his right arm, and forced him to lower his wand. She whispered something into his ear and pulled him to the other side of the shop. Weasley followed his friends obediently with one last glare at Draco.

Madam Malkin seemed to ignore the situation in the hope that nothing else would happen. "Okay, you're all done dear," she told him as she put her tape measure and pins away.

He looked one last time in the mirror, and satisfied with his appearance, he pulled the robes over his head and handed them to Madam Malkin for her to fold and package.

He trailed behind his mother as she moved towards the counter at the front of the shop to pay for his robes. He passed Granger along the way. She was a reasonable distance from her two bodyguards so he stopped and quickly whispered, "You seem different, Mudblood."

She raised her head and looked at him curiously. She raised an eyebrow and waited for him to explain what he was referring to but he walked away. He smirked at her over his shoulder. He would figure it out.

His mother paid for the robes that cost over thirty Galleons and they strolled out of the shop.

They went in and out of other various shops as they picked up things that Draco would need for the new school year. They bought ink, parchment, quills, ingredients for his Potions kit, all his new textbooks, and owl treats for Orion.

The young man knew that all of their shopping was done except for one very special stop. His mother called for a house elf and the creature Apparated their purchases back to Malfoy Manor.

Draco took one cautious look up the street before he slipped into Knockturn Alley with his mother beside him. The dark, dingy street off of Diagon Alley was a place that no witch or wizard could afford to be seen these days, especially the Malfoys. Their house had already been raided for dark objects by Ministry officials once. They walked into one of the oldest shops on the street and the only one within sight that had lights on inside and an 'Open' sign on the door. Borgin & Burkes was quite familiar to the Malfoy family.

Borgin scuttled out from behind the counter and bowed in front of Narcissa. "Mrs. Malfoy, what a pleasure," he turned to Draco and bowed as well. "And young Mr. Malfoy. What can I do for you?"

Draco moved towards the object of his interest, a Vanishing Cabinet, while his mother talked to the oily, sly shopkeeper. He ran a hand down the smooth, carefully crafted wood. A story that his housemate and Quidditch teammate, Graham Montague, had told him had inspired him to consider using the damaged Vanishing Cabinet in Hogwarts as a way to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes. He had brought his idea to Snape and his godfather thought that it _could_ work but it would be time consuming and exhausting.

"My son is interested in your Vanishing Cabinet," she told Borgin coolly.

Borgin looked startled. The Vanishing Cabinet in his possession was very old and it would be a rather odd and expensive purchase. Surely the man had studied the object for many years and knew that it was temperamental and unpredictable.

"Why?" He asked distrustfully.

"That is none of your business, Borgin," Draco stated coldly. "It has a sister that is damaged. Do you know how to fix it?"

Borgin stepped closer to the younger Malfoy and twiddled his fingers in front of him. "Possibly," he stated unsurely. "I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring it into the shop?"

Draco shook his head. "No, it has to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it."

Borgin looked from the young man to Mrs. Malfoy and licked his lips nervously. "Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn't guarantee anything."

He sighed; it was exactly what Snape thought too. It was a long shot but it was the best shot he had. It was the only idea that he had managed to come up with and it's not like he could take his time to think these things through. The Dark Lord was quite impatient. He plastered his trademark, condescending sneer on his face and walked towards Borgin menacingly. He had never been fond of the old shopkeeper and didn't care if one of his incentives for helping him was fear. "No? Perhaps this will make you more confident," he said as he slowly revealed the fresh Dark Mark on his arm. Borgin swallowed nervously and his beady eyes widened. "Tell anyone and there will be retribution. Well," he began in a voice full of fake cheer. "I'd better be off. And don't forget to keep that one safe, I'll need it." He took one last look at the Vanishing Cabinet before he turned to his mother. "Ready Mother?"

"Perhaps you'd like to take it now?" Borgin interrupted.

Draco let out a bark of a laugh. "No, of course not, you stupid little man, how would I look carrying that down the street? Just don't sell it!" He pulled a bag of Galleons out of his trouser pocket and dropped it in Borgin's hands.

"Of course not…sir."

Borgin made a deep bow, not unlike a house elf, and Draco sneered before turning and escorting his mother out of the shop.

"Keep an eye on him, Mother," he whispered.

"Of course, dear," she replied.

He smiled smugly to himself. At least the first part of his plan had been put into action.

**A/N:** So, I went to this website that converts currency to Harry Potter currency and that's what I used to determine the cost of Draco's dress robes and let's just say that 30 Galleons is a lot. Lol.

Questions of the chapter: 1) This chapter is shown from Harry's perspective in HBP, how was it from Draco's? 2) And what do you think is so different about Hermione?

Please review! :)


	5. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

**A/N:** Hey everyone, sorry for the wait, I was really busy with school so I didn't have time to post. Enjoy the chapter and remember that it is unbetaed!

****Disclaimer:** **I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 5 - Aboard the Hogwarts Express**

Draco stood in the middle of Snape's sitting room while Snape and his mother had a private conversation upstairs. His Hogwarts trunk was lying at his feet with his broomstick, the Firebolt II, and Orion in his cage atop of the trunk. As soon as the adults were done talking, the three of them would leave for Platform Nine and Three Quarters to catch the eleven o'clock train to Hogwarts. He was packed and ready to go, fully dressed in black trousers, a black shirt, and a black suit jacket. He had foregone his Hogwarts robes but he had pinned his Prefect badge to the lapel of his jacket. The truth was that he was dreading his return to Hogwarts.

He slowly walked around the room and stopped at the fireplace. There were three framed photographs on the mantelpiece and they were the only photos in the whole house. Draco ran a finger along the dusty mantel as he observed the moving pictures. The first two photos were of Snape with his parents at a young age. His best guess was that Snape was a toddler in the first photo and no older than ten years of age in the second. Snape's parents were as surly looking as their young son. His mother had harsh, unfeminine features and was rather expressionless while his father simply looked angry. If these two photographs were accurate representations of Snape's childhood than Draco could easily envision it in his head. The third photo, however, was much different. It was of his godfather as a teenager, maybe fifteen or sixteen, and he was smiling broadly. He had never seen Snape even form a fraction of that smile. He was standing close to a girl his age. She was very pretty with long red hair and bright, green eyes. Draco picked up the photo and looked at it a little more closely. Snape looked happy and carefree and it made him wonder about the identity of the girl. She looked familiar but a name was not coming to his mind.

He almost dropped the framed photograph in his hand when he heard the creaking of the old staircase. He gently put it back in its place and stepped away from the fireplace. He smiled at his mother as she entered the sitting room ahead of Snape. "Are you two finished talking about me?" He asked light-heartedly.

"Indeed," Snape answered. "I was telling your mother the details of your progress."

Narcissa gently placed a hand on her son's cheek and he titled his head downwards so that she could place a kiss on his forehead. "You have done so well, Draco," she whispered.

"Thank you Mother," he answered.

And it was true that the growth of his magical abilities over the weeks that he had lived with his godfather was staggering. His proficiency as an Occlumens was now near perfect. He could now block certain memories and thoughts from Snape at will with only a fraction of a second to mentally prepare. He was now able to allow a Legilimens to see only what he wanted them to see, he had even begun to successfully plant false memories in his mind. Also, his duelling skills had reached a level of a wizard twice his age. He was able to hold his own against Snape using only non-verbal magic. Snape had been right; he had gained an enormous amount of knowledge over the past six weeks.

"He has the tools, he now just has to use them properly," Snape stated. "The most important thing is keeping your cover. You must not appear out of character in front of your housemates or it will arouse suspicion."

Draco nodded. "Yes sir." They had been over the "acting" portion of his task many times.

"Be careful. Be discreet. It will also be critical for you to keep up with your studies, your Prefect duties, and your extracurricular activities like Quidditch."

"Yes sir," he repeated.

"I've also been meaning to tell you, Draco, that I will not be your Potions master this year," Snape said solemnly.

"What do you mean, Professor?" Draco asked worriedly.

"Professor Horace Slughorn has come out of retirement and will resume his post as Potions master. The Headmaster has given me the Defence Against the Dark Arts position."

"Congratulations." Every student in Slytherin was aware of Snape's desire to teach that particular subject. Draco would, however, miss his instruction in Potions.

Snape nodded in thanks and then proceeded to look at the clock on the mantel of the fireplace. They were cutting their departure to King's Cross Station quite close. "You two should get ready to leave. I will Apparate after you."

Narcissa levitated Draco's things with a flick of her wand and sent them out of the room in front of her. "Thank you again Severus," she said quietly as she passed him.

"Do not mention it Narcissa."

When Draco walked by, Snape stopped him with a raised hand. "Wait a second Draco," he whispered. "Do not do anything stupid on the train," he warned fiercely. "Be on your best behaviour until we reach Hogwarts."

Draco rolled his eyes. "What could I possibly do on the train?"

Snape grabbed the lapels of Draco's expensive suit jacket and roughly pulled him forward. "I am serious, Draco."

"Yes sir," he gulped. He really did respect Snape and he appreciated everything that the man had done for him this summer but he was terrible at showing his gratitude. His mother had done nothing but love and care for him since the day that she found out that she was pregnant but his father had worked very hard to stamp out the side that his mother had nurtured. Lucius felt that it was more proper not to show love, gratefulness, forgiveness…really any emotion that could be perceived as an act of kindness.

Snape slowly released Draco from his grasp. "I will speak to you after the welcome feast."

Draco nodded and strode out of the sitting room to join his mother who was waiting by the door. "Let's leave Mother."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione Granger pushed open the door of the train compartment on the Hogwarts Express where Harry sat waiting for her and Ron. They had finished their Prefect duties of meeting in the assigned compartment to discuss schedules with the Head Boy and Girl, and patrolling the train corridors. Harry was alone except for Crookshanks and the two owls, Hedwig and Pigwidgeon, in their cages. She sat down next to her faithful pet and began to scratch his ears. She pulled her new copy of _Advanced Rune Translation_ out of her bag and opened it in her lap.

Ron slumped down next to Harry and grumbled. "I'm starving. I wish the trolley would come along already."

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Harry. "Have you been talking to anyone?"

Harry nodded. "Luna and Neville were here for a bit." He held up an odd looking magazine for Hermione to see and smiled. "Luna is handing out copies of _The Quibbler_." He cleared his throat and awkwardly fixed his glasses before he asked. "So how was Malfoy acting?"

Hermione sighed; Harry had done a lot of thinking and talking about Malfoy since they had spied on him in Borgin & Burkes. He was very suspicious of Malfoy's reason for being in that particular shop. She knew that he was annoyed that she and Ron weren't as curious about Malfoy's behaviour as he was but they weren't sure if they shared Harry's opinions on the matter.

"He seemed quieter but the same as always," Ron answered.

"Harry," she began in the hope of ending this discussion that had gone on for weeks. "I've already said that I agree with you that its fishy but aren't there a lot of explanations for him being in that shop?"

"Yeah," Ron agreed as he looked out the window for the food trolley. "It's a creepy shop, he's a creepy bloke."

Harry shook his head and Hermione sighed. He was absolutely convinced that Malfoy was up to no good.

"What about when he said, 'Don't forget to keep _that_ one safe'? Now to me, that sounded like Borgin's got another one of the broken objects and Malfoy wants both." He paused. "I mean, Malfoy's father is in Azkaban. Don't you think he'd like revenge? He threatened me after his father was captured at the Ministry."

"What can he do about it though?" Ron asked.

"I don't know but he's up to something and I think that we should take it seriously," Harry replied passionately. He took a deep breath before he lowered his voice and revealed the only conclusion that he had drawn from Malfoy's activities. "I think he's replaced his father as a Death Eater."

Hermione's eyes widened and she closed her book. "That seems very unlikely, Harry."

Ron laughed despite the serious expression on his best friend's face. "He's sixteen! What would You-Know-Who want with Malfoy?"

"I don't know," he said through teeth clenched in frustration. "But think about it! At Madam Malkin's he yelled when she touched his _left_ arm, and then in Borgin & Burkes, he showed something to Borgin that we couldn't see, something that seriously scared Borgin. He wanted to show Borgin who he was dealing with. He's been given the Dark Mark!"

"I still don't know, Harry," Hermione said quietly.

"Yeah, Harry," Ron added. "_Malfoy_ a _Death Eater_?"

Harry sighed and gave up trying to convince his two, sceptical best friends that he was right when the food trolley finally arrived. Ron leapt to his feet in eagerness while Harry leisurely stood and pulled some Sickles out of his pocket for a few snacks.

Luna and Neville returned to the compartment after circulating copies of _The Quibbler_ to fellow students. The five of them had barely resumed conversation when the compartment door slid open and a third-year girl stepped inside. She stuttered something nervously and passed scrolls of parchment to Harry and Neville. The piece of parchment turned out to be an invitation to join the new teacher, Professor Slughorn, in his compartment for lunch. Dumbledore had implied that something like this could happen. Professor Slughorn desired to make friendships with his students that had famous reputations, exceptional talent, or powerful connections.

After a few moments, Harry encouraged Neville to follow him and they reluctantly left their compartment. When they reached Professor Slughorn's compartment, they found the plump, smiling man waiting for them with a few other students. The only person that Harry was happy to see was Ginny Weasley. She was sitting in the corner and looking rather confused and uncomfortable.

Slughorn finally let them leave after an awkward lunch and odd afternoon conversation where, it seemed to Harry, each student in the compartment was introduced based on their merits. Slughorn also reminisced about past members of the "Slug Club" who had gone on to fame and fortune.

Harry said goodbye to Ginny and Neville and followed Blaise Zabini. Zabini, who had been invited by Slughorn because he had a witch mother who was famous for her beauty and wealth, was a sixth-year Slytherin and one of Malfoy's best mates. Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak out of his pocket and discreetly flung it over his head. He hoped that by following Zabini into his compartment, his suspicions about Malfoy would be confirmed. It was definitely a reckless plan; it was dark outside now so they were nearing Hogsmeade Station. Hermione would disapprove of his adventure when he told her but he had the perfect opportunity right now to prove to himself, and to Ron and Hermione, that he was right about Malfoy so he had to take it.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco looked up when his tall, dark skinned friend, Blaise, re-entered their compartment. He furrowed his brow in confusion when the compartment door refused to close. Blaise cursed and attempted to close the door again but it slid in the opposite direction with enough force to send Blaise flying into Goyle's lap. Draco was not distracted enough by Blaise and Goyle's tussle or Theodore Nott's rambunctious laughter to miss a flash of a black and white trainer floating in midair. He narrowed his eyes, surely that wasn't possible. He shook his head and was convinced that he was seeing things…Must be all the stress.

Goyle finally got the compartment door shut and Blaise sat down in his own seat. He huffed while he ran a hand over his short, dark hair and straightened his shirt. Vincent Crabbe gave back his undivided attention to the comic book he held in his hands and Theo stopped laughing and returned to snogging his girlfriend of two years, Daphne Greengrass, who was sitting in his lap. Draco decided to relax again so he leaned back in his seat and allowed Pansy Parkinson to run her fingers through his blonde locks. The girl couldn't keep her hands off of him but he was too tired to shake her off right now. She did have her uses after all.

"So, Blaise," he began, "what did Slughorn want?"

"Just trying to meet up with some well-connected people," Blaise answered. "Not that he managed to find many," he scoffed.

"Who else did he invite?" Draco asked curiously.

"McLaggen from Gryffindor."

"Yeah, his uncle is big in the Ministry," he explained.

"Some bloke from Ravenclaw named Belby."

"He's a prat," Pansy exclaimed.

"Don't yell in my ear, woman," Draco complained. Pansy apologized by placing a gentle kiss behind his ear.

"And Longbottom, Potter, and the Weasley girl," Blaise finished.

"He invited _Longbottom_?" Draco asked incredulously. He didn't wait for a response from his housemates before he sneered, "Precious Potter. Of course Slughorn wanted to have a look at the _Chosen One_. Maybe Slughorn is going a bit senile," he pondered. "Father always said he was a good wizard in his day. My father used to be a bit of a favourite of his. Slughorn probably hasn't heard I'm on the train, or…"

Theo pulled away from Daphne and interrupted him. "I wouldn't hold my breath for an invitation to one of his little parties, mate. My father and Slughorn are old friends, since their school days, and I didn't get an invitation, did I? He's not interested in Death Eaters."

This statement didn't seem to faze Theo at all but it made Draco incredibly angry. Would he automatically be associated with the term 'Death Eater' for the rest of his life? He _had_ taken the Dark Mark so maybe it was his punishment.

"Well, who cares?" He forced out a laugh. "I might not even be at Hogwarts next year, so what does it matter if some old, has been wizard doesn't like me?"

"What do you mean you might not be at Hogwarts next year?" Pansy asked furiously.

He shrugged before saying, "Mother wants me to finish my education but what will N.E.W.T.s matter if the Dark Lord takes over?" And he knew that he was absolutely right. In the devastating outcome of the Dark Lord winning this war, nothing aside from blood and the willingness to serve will matter.

He ignored the questioning looks from his friends. Crabbe and Goyle were gaping at him with open mouths. Pansy looked amazed and as if she was devising a plan to get more information out of him later. Blaise seemed intrigued and even Theo and Daphne had stopped groping each other long enough to look curious.

"I can see Hogwarts," Draco stated as he glanced out the window. "We should get our robes on."

He watched Goyle reach up into the luggage rack for his trunk and as he lowered it down, Draco could have sworn that he heard a gasp of pain. Now, that was interesting. He took his robes out of his trunk and pulled them on. He closed his trunk, locked it, and fastened his travelling cloak around his neck. It looked chilly outside.

The train came to a halt and Goyle impatiently pushed the compartment door open. Blaise and Crabbe rushed out after Goyle and Theo led Daphne out with a hand on the small of her back. Pansy waited for him with her hand held out for him to take and a pleading look on her face.

"You go on. I just want to check something."

Pansy left and he closed the door behind her and pulled down the blinds so that no one in the hallway could see inside the compartment. He clutched his wand beneath his robes and bent down over his trunk. It was time to see if his hunch was right. He spun around quickly and pointed his wand at the luggage rack. "_Petrificus Totalus_!" An invisible weight fell out of the luggage rack and onto the floor of the compartment with a loud crash. Finally, an Invisibility Cloak slipped off of the body to reveal a completely paralysed Harry Potter.

He knelt down beside Potter and smirked broadly. "I thought so," he said proudly. "You followed Blaise inside. Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?" He sneered. "Not that I care about anything you just heard."

He stood up and had the most overwhelming urge to stamp on Potter's face. He could erase years of frustration over his rivalry with Potter right now, he finally had him where he wanted him. A broken nose certainly wouldn't go astray, but then he remembered Snape's warning to him and it was in his best interest not to piss off his godfather at this stage in their relationship. He groaned and with a wave of his wand, Potter was able to move his limbs again. "Get a move on Potter," he called over his shoulder as he left the compartment with his trunk and owl. "Or the train will head back to London with you on it!"

**A/N: **Yay! They're back to Hogwarts! See, Draco will still have many flaws but his particular situation will require him to think about things differently. Besides, he's much more fun to write when he isn't perfectly reformed! Lol. Please review!


	6. The First Task

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 6 - The First Task**

Harry Potter was the last student to enter the impeccably decorated Great Hall. The large room always looked special on the night of the welcome feast and this night was no exception, the lit candles floating overhead cast a glow over everything and everyone. He walked towards the Gryffindor House table in a state of utter disbelief and didn't even notice that almost every other student in the Hall was trying their best to get a good look at the 'Chosen One'.

Why had Malfoy just let him go like that, without even a hex or a bodily assault? It didn't make any sense to him. The Malfoy that he had known for the past five years would not have let him off so easily…unless he was planning something even worse.

He sat down between Ron and Hermione and quickly began to gather food onto his plate. He had been the last student off of the train and had missed the carriages to Hogwarts. He realized that the food in front of him would soon vanish to be replaced with puddings.

"Harry, what happened to you?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I'll tell you later," he answered shortly as he focused on his meal.

Hermione looked as if she was going to push the issue further so he sent her a significant look.

"Later," he repeated. Ginny, Dean, Neville, and Seamus were sitting close by and he didn't want them to overhear. "So, did I miss anything?" He asked to change the subject.

"The Sorting," Hermione answered grudgingly.

Ron laughed, "The hat told us to stay united in these troubles times."

Harry nodded and cracked a small smile before he looked up at the staff table at the front of the Hall. Dumbledore was sitting in the Headmaster's chair and happily chatting with the Head of Gryffindor House, Professor McGonagall. Harry saw that Dumbledore's right hand looked like it was decaying; he had first noticed this injury when Dumbledore had picked him up from Privet Drive. However, the Headmaster had refused to explain what had happened to cause the damage. A few seats down from Dumbledore and McGonagall, sat the eccentric Divination teacher, Professor Trelawney. She barely left her attic of a classroom and he had never seen her at a welcome feast. He wouldn't go as far as to say that he had a new respect or appreciation for Professor Trelawney since he had discovered that she had made the prophecy about him and Voldemort but he definitely saw her in a different light. Yet, he was still not eager to be in her company. His gaze shifted from Trelawney, with her glittering robes and large spectacles, to Hagrid, the half-giant Gamekeeper, who was waving at him enthusiastically. Harry smiled and waved back.

"So, what did Professor Slughorn want?" Hermione inquired.

Harry rolled his eyes. "To know what really happened at the Ministry."

"Him and everyone else," she replied. "Even Ron and I were asked about it on the train."

"Yeah, everyone wants to know if you really are the 'Chosen One'," Ron added.

Their conversation halted when Professor Dumbledore stood to make his annual speech. The whole Hall seemed to notice the condition of his right hand and Harry whispered to Hermione that it had been like that in July. Hermione proposed her theories about old, dark curses and potions without antidotes while Dumbledore welcomed everyone back and gave out Filch's regular notices. He surprised Harry, Ron, Hermione, and every other student, when he announced that Slughorn would be the new Potions master. He was not the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher like they had expected.

"_Potions_?" Hermione asked in shock. "But Harry, you said…"

"I _thought_ he was going to be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts," Harry said in defence.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," Dumbledore continued his announcements despite the chattering in the Great Hall, "will be taking over the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

The students sitting at the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff tables either stared in disbelief at the Headmaster or began muttering in anger and disapproval, while the Slytherins erupted into applause and cheers. Harry simply could not believe it. He was enraged. After all these years of finding teachers, most of them unfit, to fill the so-called jinxed position, Dumbledore had finally caved and given it to Snape. The whole school knew that Snape's deepest desire was to teach that subject but most were unaware that he had been given the post of Potions master because Dumbledore did not trust him to do it. He didn't want Snape tempted by the Dark Arts.

Dumbledore gave the students a moment to mutter to each other about the unexpected news before he loudly cleared his throat and silence fell over the Hall once more. He began to speak about the far more graver topic of Lord Voldemort and his gaining strength. He told all of them about the extra security measures that Hogwarts had taken and then addressed them about looking out for their safety and the safety of everyone around them before sending them off to bed.

Harry stood slowly and watched the hundreds of students exit the Great Hall, most of them were trying to get another look at him before heading to their dormitories. Hermione raced ahead to the front of the Gryffindors and embraced her Prefect duty of showing the nervous first-years the way to Gryffindor Tower. Ron, however, hung back with Harry and they left the Hall at the very back of the crowd.

"So what really happened on the train?" The redhead asked quietly.

"I slipped on the Cloak and followed Zabini back to his compartment to spy on Malfoy," he answered honestly.

"And?" Ron prompted interestedly.

"He found out I was there just when the train stopped. He waited until everyone left before he petrified me and then…did nothing," Harry finished lamely.

"Well, that doesn't sound like him, does it?" Ron asked as they walked up the Entrance Hall staircase.

"That's what I thought!" Harry agreed. "Something is going on with him. Listen to what he was saying before he figured out I was there…"

Harry told him each and every word that Malfoy had said to his Slytherin pals. He expected Ron to be stunned or confused and accepting of some of Harry's theories concerning Malfoy but he simply dismissed it. "Come on, Harry, he was just trying to show off for Parkinson. I mean, 'I might not even be at Hogwarts next year'," Ron spoke in an impression of Malfoy's arrogant voice. "Come on!"

"What if Voldemort needs someone at Hogwarts _this_ year?" Harry persisted.

They abruptly stopped their intense conversation when they reached the Fat Lady, the portrait that guarded Gryffindor Tower. Ron gave the Fat Lady the new password and she swung forward to allow them to step into the common room. They headed to the sixth-year boys' dormitory and immediately got distracted by Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas, and stories of the past summer.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco knocked on the door of the familiar dungeon office and received a brusque invitation to come inside. "Still keeping this clammy office?" He quipped as he closed the door behind him and stepped further into the dark room.

Snape ignored his comment. "Sit Draco."

Draco slowly settled himself into the chair across from Snape's desk and took a long look around the room. The shelves lining the walls all along the room were full of large glass jars of potion ingredients being preserved in coloured solutions for future use. The hundreds of jars caused the dark room to have an eerie, green glow and the dampness seemed to seep into your bones. This office had always given him the creeps.

"So, why do you want to see me? We were told not to be wandering about the castle after hours," he smirked. Snape had approached him after the feast and told him to come to his office after he had settled away in his dormitory.

"Like you are unacquainted with breaking the rules, Draco," he snapped back. Draco shrugged noncommittally and sneered. "I brought you here tonight to discuss your first task for the Order," Snape continued.

Draco sat up straighter in his seat and listened intently. "Go on."

"The Headmaster has decided that your skills and knowledge will be best served in assisting Harry Potter."

He stared at his godfather in outrage. "You're kidding?" He knew the second that a sly grin spread across Snape's face that he was being completely serious. It seemed as if the older man was finding amusement in his new task. "You know how I feel about him!"

"Yes, indeed, I do," Snape drawled, "but sometimes Draco…we must put our personal vendettas aside in order to…do what is right. Potter will be your official contact, meaning…"

"That I can't lie to him," Draco finished as he remembered the terms of the Unbreakable Vow.

"Precisely."

He sighed. "Is it just him or will I be working with the Weasley git and the Mudblood as well?"

Snape's face contorted into pure disgust that Draco was not expecting. "Do not use that word in front of me ever again!"

Draco was both puzzled and intimidated. He stuttered a reply, "Y-yes sir-r."

Snape took a deep, calming breath before he resumed telling Draco things that he needed to know. "You will give Potter, _and_ his two friends, everything that you know about the Death Eaters and their inner circle. You will tell them what to expect and prepare them for what is coming in this war. Prepare them to face Legilimency, non-verbal combat, the Unforgiveable Curses, and the whole host of the Dark Arts. They, in turn, will provide you with necessary information about the Order of the Phoenix, teach you the Patronus Charm, and tell you things about the Dark Lord that even his most faithful servants do not know. This is a very important assignment Draco and Professor Dumbledore has placed his faith in you."

"Why me?" He choked out. "Why not you, Professor?"

"For a number of reasons, Draco," he answered. "For one, I am far too busy and I have taught you well. You are their peer and Professor Dumbledore feels that that approach will be the most effective. Also, you have grown up in the proper environment to supply Potter with accurate information about the behaviour of the Death Eaters."

Draco didn't offer a reply but he nodded. _The proper_ _environment_…He felt a small shudder pass over his body at the phrase.

"Now, you are not to tell Potter what the Dark Lord demands of you and Potter will be told that he is not to ask."

"Good," he sighed in relief. He could easily imagine Potter's reaction and it would be a disaster. "Is that all, Professor?" He inquired anxiously. He was ready to go back to his dormitory, lie in his bed staring at the canopy of his four-poster, and think over everything that he now knew.

Snape shook his head. "No, there are a few things that you need to understand about Potter and why the Dark Lord has been unable to kill him in the past."

Draco leaned forward purely out of intrigue and remained silent so that his teacher could continue.

"On the night that the Dark Lord first tried to kill Harry Potter, Lily Potter sacrificed herself in the hope that it would save her young son. She made a blood sacrifice, very old magic," he explained, "and magic that the Dark Lord had not counted on. Lily Potter's sacrifice is why Harry Potter still lives and it is why Potter has always lived with his Muggle relatives, he is protected by his maternal aunt's blood until he comes of age."

"So…" Draco trailed off as he attempted to gather his battling thoughts. If he was being honest, very little of what Snape had just said made sense to him, that sort of magic didn't seem possible to him. "Love and sacrifice are powerful enough to fight off the Killing Curse?"

"In this case, yes it was," he responded solemnly. "It is also significant that the famous scar forms a connection between the mind of Potter and the mind of the Dark Lord. This connection is why it is so important for Potter to learn Occlumency. However, the Dark Lord tried and failed to possess Potter's mind. He cannot spend time in the boy's mind because he cannot handle Potter's constant display of emotions. That piece of information favours us."

Draco felt as if everything he had ever been taught about magic was now being used against him. To be a powerful wizard, to save and take lives, one had to have immense power and skill. But Snape was telling him that Potter had defied the Dark Lord time and time again because of love…and sacrifice…and his inability to control his emotions, which was a sign of weakness…It didn't make any sense to him.

"Lastly, the reason why the Dark Lord is so interested in Potter's wand is because his own wand shares a twin core. The core of Potter's wand and the core of the Dark Lord's wand were taken from the same phoenix. The Dark Lord cannot kill Harry Potter with his wand, he needs another."

There was then a long moment of silence where Draco and Snape stared at each other without uttering a single word. Draco knew that Snape was looking into his mind but he did not care, his thoughts were so jumbled that even he could not make sense of them.

When Draco finally spoke it was to ask a question that Snape had not expected until much later in the year. "So Potter is the Chosen One?"

The faintest of smiles quickly moved across his face. His godson was a lot more intelligent than most people took him for. "Yes."

"And Granger and Weasley will stay with him until the end?"

"The Headmaster believes so," he answered.

"And now he's added a fourth to the mix because it's not like I can just say no and walk away now," Draco stated with a humourless chuckle. And then he added in a voice that perfectly depicted how unsure and scared he truly was, "Looks like I'm in this until the end too."

**A/N:** So, Harry is Malfoy's official contact in the Order, I'm assuming that you guys were expecting it to be Hermione? Draco now knows a lot of the mysteries surrounding Harry and the real fun begins soon. I love writing Snape and Draco together. How do you feel about their dynamic? Please review and give me your thoughts! :)


	7. The HalfBlood Prince and the Pureblood

**A/N:** Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I really appreciate the feedback :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 7 - The Half-Blood Prince and the Pure-blood Ally**

Draco headed to breakfast the following morning alone. He was still thinking about everything that Snape had revealed to him. He was still unable to understand the concept of powerful magic born out of just love. Death Eaters saw a wizard or witch's magical strength as a combination of power, skill, ambition, and bloodline; it was not a reflection of love, sacrifice, selflessness or any of the other reasons why Potter was still alive. No wonder they called him The Boy Who Lived. It was a bloody miracle that Potter was still on this planet!

He took a seat at the Slytherin table across from Crabbe and Goyle. The two large, young men were too preoccupied with their breakfast to greet him. He nodded to Blaise and Theo, who were animatedly discussing the new edition of _Quidditch Illustrated_, before he dug into his own breakfast. Pansy waved flirtatiously at him from a little further down the table where she sat with her girlfriends and he half-heartedly waved back. He supposed that she was still his girlfriend.

After breakfast, he watched as Snape made his way through all the sixth-year Slytherins. He was handing out their timetables and it took a little longer than previous years since the Head of House had to make sure that the students had achieved the grades on their O.W.L.s that were necessary to continue with their desired N.E.W.T.s.

Draco sniggered along with Blaise and Theo when Professor Snape spat at Crabbe and Goyle that he hoped they could handle their course load this time since it was identical to last year. It turned out that they hadn't passed any of their O.W.L.s. Draco, on the other hand, was quickly cleared to continue on to N.E.W.T. level in Charms, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Potions. Blaise and Theo had identical schedules except for Arithmancy and the three boys, plus Daphne Greengrass, casually left the Great Hall for first period Ancient Runes.

They walked all the way to the sixth floor and into Professor Babbling's classroom. As they had expected, the class size was small. There were a handful of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, two Gryffindors, and the four of them. The wooden benches, just like those in most Hogwarts classrooms, sat two to a desk and he claimed one at the back with Blaise.

Theo and Daphne sat in front of them and Theo immediately spun around in his seat to chat before class started. "Check out Granger," he snickered as he tilted his head in her direction.

Draco and Blaise followed Theo's head movement and saw Granger sitting at the front of the class alongside fellow Gryffindor, and Mudblood, Dean Thomas. "Sitting with her kind," Blaise remarked.

Theo opened his mouth to say something else but Daphne silenced him with a hand on his arm. "Theodore, don't be rude."

"I wasn't going to say anything rude, babe, just the truth," he argued.

Draco smirked to himself. He and Theo had both known Daphne since they were toddlers and they both agreed that she was far too nice for a pure-blood. Her younger sister Astoria was much more stereotypical of their lineage.

"I'll tell you guys later," Theo mouthed to them.

"Books out! Eyes forward!" Professor Babbling announced as she swept into the classroom.

Draco obediently pulled his textbook out of his bag along with parchment, an ink bottle, and his favourite quill. He diligently took notes for the rest of the class.

When they left the classroom an hour later and headed to Defence Against the Dark Arts, Draco was a lot less self-assured about his ability to keep up with his studies along with everything else. "Did Babbling have to give us so much bloody homework on the first day?" He grumbled.

"I know! A fifteen-inch essay, two translations, and a ton of reading by Wednesday!" Theo stated incredulously. "The old bat has gone mad."

The four Slytherins joined the queue of students waiting for Snape to let them in and they were joined shortly by Pansy and dorm mate, Tracey Davis.

"Thank Merlin this subject is finally being taught by a proper teacher," Pansy exclaimed.

Her rather loud comment earned scathing looks from a few waiting Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, and the group of Gryffindors, particularly Potter, Weasley, and Granger. Draco, and everyone else, picked up on the fact that Pansy had aimed her jab at Remus Lupin.

Luckily, the door to the classroom flew open and Snape stepped out into the corridor. As usual, his black, greasy hair framed his face and his long, black robes billowed behind him. "Inside now," he demanded.

All of the students entered the classroom and silently observed the changes. Every year the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher decorated the classroom according to his or her preferences. Gilderoy Lockhart had covered the walls in portraits of himself. Lupin and Barty Crouch Jr., posing as Mad-Eye Moody, had filled it with dark creatures and interesting objects used to combat the Dark Arts. And just last year, Dolores Umbridge had turned the room into a pink, frilly, disgusting mess. This year it was very similar to Snape's old Potions classroom. All of the drapes were drawn across the windows and the room was lit by candlelight, which made the room rather hot and uncomfortable. On one of the walls were large posters depicting people being attacked by various forms of the Dark Arts; the Dementor's Kiss, the Cruciatus Curse, and Inferi were included amongst the images.

The class took their seats with Draco sitting next to Blaise once again. Snape gave them a short, opening lecture before asking a question about non-verbal spells. Naturally, Granger raised her hand to give an answer. Draco knew the answer as well but he rarely raised his hand in classes.

"You will now divide into pairs," Snape announced. "One partner will attempt to jinx the other _without speaking_. The other will attempt to repel the jinx _in equal_ _silence_. Carry on."

Draco smirked as he and Blaise stood to face each other. This lesson would be a breeze. He was already highly skilled at non-verbal magic. As Blaise practiced producing a Shield Charm without speaking, Draco observed his classmates. There was a lot of cheating going on, a lot of people were whispering and muttering under their breath. Draco smugly noted that only one other person in the class had successfully cast a spell in silence, and of course that person was Granger.

"Wonderful Draco, twenty points to Slytherin," Snape awarded as he watched Draco wordlessly petrify Blaise.

Draco grinned and nodded at his teacher. His arrogance only grew when Potter was cheeky with Snape and was promptly given detention.

"What a brilliant lesson," Theo exclaimed as they headed back to the Slytherin Common Room after their first D.A.D.A. lesson. "Non-verbal spells and Potter getting detention on the first day," he laughed.

The Slytherins spent their break laughing at Potter and Weasley and Draco got very little work done. The free period flew by and before he knew it, he was walking to Arithmancy class on the seventh floor alone.

He walked into the classroom and was shocked by the class size, Arithmancy made his Ancient Runes and Defence Against the Dark Arts classes look full. Only six students were carrying on to N.E.W.T. level, two Ravenclaws, two Hufflepuffs, one Gryffindor, and him. He stood, clutching the strap of his black, leather shoulder bag as he stared at the only empty seat in the room. Close friends Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein were sitting together, as were Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott, leaving him with Granger.

"Please take your seat, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Vector told him.

Draco hesitated and refrained from sneering at Professor Vector. It was bad enough that he would have to interact with Granger because of his assignment as Potter's informant but now he was supposed to deal with Granger as his Arithmancy partner all year too? He groaned and slowly sat down. "This is my favourite subject, don't ruin it for me, Granger," he grumbled.

"Likewise," she replied as she opened her textbook.

"It's your favourite subject too?" He asked sceptically.

"Yes. It requires logical thinking, well-reasoned thought, and a firm grasp of numerology, or," she smiled triumphantly, "as Muggles call it, mathematics."

Draco turned away from her and opened his own textbook. Granger had always been quick to respond to his insults but this sassy confidence was something that he hadn't seen before. How dare she compare the challenging discipline of Arithmancy to a Muggle school subject? The Mudblood was so insufferable…but she did smell nice, like a blend of vanilla, cinnamon, and something else that was distinctly feminine that he enjoyed. Maybe if she kept her mouth shut, their seating arrangement wouldn't be so bad.

Arithmancy passed without any further conversation between him and Granger but he walked out of the classroom an hour later with slouched shoulders because they had been given even more assigned work. He was exhausted in every possible way already. He hadn't gotten near enough sleep last night and he couldn't wait to eat lunch. He raced to the Great Hall and immediately dug into the available food. He ate a lot more than usual but he didn't think much of it.

After lunch, all sixth-year students had a compulsory study period in the Great Hall. All of the goblets, plates, and silverware vanished to turn the four house tables into large workspaces. Students could only leave the Great Hall to retrieve material from the library. Draco sat in between Theo and Blaise and worked on his Ancient Runes essay while they chattered quietly. Professor Sprout would be monitoring the Monday study period and being the most easygoing teacher at Hogwarts, the students took the opportunity to talk to each other without the fear of losing house points or receiving detention.

"Double Potions with Slughorn is next," Blaise stated. "Should be interesting."

"Says the favourite," Theo teased.

"Sod off, Nott," he grumbled.

Draco chuckled to himself but couldn't help but feel a little resentful. If his father and Theodore Nott Sr. hadn't been captured at the Ministry, he and Theo would be two of Slughorn's favourites as well, and because Potions was his best subject, a little favouritism would be nice. He supposed he would have to earn Slughorn's attention.

"Oh," he began as a thought struck him. "Theo, what were you going to tell us in Ancient Runes?"

"Oh yeah," he grinned. He looked down the table and saw that his girlfriend was occupied by her homework and friends so she couldn't chastise him. "Granger looks pretty good this year, and she seems different, don't ya think?"

Blaise shook his head.

Draco looked across the room and focused on Granger sitting at the Gryffindor table. Yes, she was different. She had finally turned into a woman but there was something else too. He had first noticed it at Madam Malkin's, again in Arithmancy this morning, and it seemed as if he wasn't the only one. Cormac McLaggen had taken every opportunity to leer at Granger since she had boarded the Hogwarts Express. Terry Boot had been practically drooling over her in Arithmancy and of course there was Weasley, who followed her around like a puppy dog. "No," he lied.

Theo raised an eyebrow and smirked smugly. He knew that Draco was lying.

"Okay, maybe," he admitted grudgingly. He waved his hand, encouraging Theo to continue.

"Well, have you seen how all the birds at this school are suddenly fawning all over Potter because he's the '_Chosen One'_?"

Blaise and Draco both rolled their eyes while nodding. Bloody Potter.

"I think that the same thing is happening to Granger. She's never been less annoying and she's never been more shaggable," Theo explained.

The blonde dropped his quill and gawked at his oldest friend. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

Theo laughed, "Well, think about it. She's Potter's brain, the top of our year, and Gryffindor's little princess. Mudblood, or not, the fact that she's like forbidden fruit to us Slytherins makes her hot. Add that to the fact that the _Daily Prophet_ can't even mention her name without calling her 'the brightest witch of the age' or 'the most brilliant student to attend Hogwarts in fifty years', _and_ _Quidditch Illustrated_ claims that she did date Krum after the Triwizard Tournament. All those things make her fairly appealing, that and," he paused thoughtfully, "she has a delicious arse."

Draco laughed and shook his head in disbelief. He had known Theodore Nott for sixteen years and he had always been an individual. He hadn't succumbed to his father's Death Eater beliefs like Draco had done so effortlessly. Theo Nott was clever, and independent, especially since his mother passed away when he was thirteen. But he had always been quite the humorous character, funny and not afraid to say what's on his mind, and he enjoyed gossiping as much as his girlfriend.

He had to agree that Granger did have a rather nice bum but he wasn't sure if he was fully sold on Theo's argument. Something about Granger certainly seemed different or maybe it was just an outsider's perspective. Potter and Weasley probably didn't notice any changes in their close friend.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

"She seems different Harry," Ron whispered.

Harry raised his head from _Confronting the Faceless_, his Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, to look at Ron. However, his best mate's eyes were following Hermione out of the Great Hall as she went off to find a book in the library. "What do you mean, different?" He asked.

"I dunno," Ron mumbled. "Just different."

Harry thought about it and couldn't come up with any examples of Hermione acting any different than she had the day that they first became friends. She was still logical, sensible, and readily willing to lecture him and Ron. She was kind to the new Gryffindors, diligently performed her Prefect duties, and she was absorbed in her studies already…Still the same old Hermione as far as he was concerned. "Good different or bad different?"

"Good different," Ron squeaked. He finally turned back towards Harry and a furious blush spread across his cheeks. Harry smirked widely and he immediately became defensive. "What?"

"Nothing," Harry chuckled.

Harry had seen this coming for years and in his mind it had just been a matter of when. He had noticed Ron staring at Hermione more frequently and for longer periods of time while staying at the Burrow over the summer, and he had been incredibly civil and not at all argumentative. Maybe this year Ron would finally wake up, build up his Gryffindor courage, and tell her how he really feels about her. Harry knew that Hermione was strong and independent but that she wanted Ron to make the first romantic advance, just like she had wanted him to properly ask her to the Yule Ball.

"Stop smiling like that, Harry," Ron demanded.

"Sorry," he laughed.

He actually stopped laughing when Hermione returned and huffed, "I couldn't find it and we have Double Potions in five minutes."

Harry nodded and watched with a secret smile as Ron hid his red face from their female best friend.

The trio packed away their things and headed to the dungeons for Potions with a new professor. Harry and Ron were both thrilled that they were allowed into Slughorn's N.E.W.T. level Potions class with 'Exceeds Expectations' in their O.W.L.s, it kept their dream of becoming Aurors alive. Of course, they knew that the extra workload would be troublesome.

When they stopped in the corridor outside the classroom they saw that there would only be twelve students in N.E.W.T. Potions. There were four Slytherins (Malfoy, Zabini, Nott, and Pansy Parkinson), four Ravenclaws (Terry Boot, Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein, and Padma Patil); the three of them, and Ernie Macmillan was the lone Hufflepuff.

They made small talk with Ernie while they waited for Slughorn to open the room to them. Slughorn eventually opened the door to the dungeon classroom with an enthusiastic smile. The students filed in one by one and Harry, Ron, and Hermione set their things down by a table with Ernie. To their surprise there were already cauldrons brewing. One particular cauldron was emitting a delicious smelling vapour that caused the males in the room to smile lazily to themselves while the females instantly became flushed.

Slughorn called the class to attention and asked them to ready their materials and take out their textbooks. Harry quickly informed him that he and Ron hadn't thought that they would be taking N.E.W.T. level Potions so they didn't have any of the necessary supplies. The potbellied professor just smiled and told them that Professor McGonagall had updated him on their predicament and that they could retrieve anything that they needed from the store cupboard. He gave them two old copies of _Advanced Potion-Making_ and turned to talk to the class.

"Now, I've prepared a few potions for today that you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. Can anyone tell me what this one is?" Slughorn asked as he pointed to a cauldron that appeared to be full of boiling water.

Hermione answered with a quickly raised hand and told the class that it was Veritaserum. She answered Slughorn's next question correctly too. She easily identified the slow-bubbling mud in one cauldron as Polyjuice Potion. Slughorn looked very impressed with Hermione's vast knowledge and Harry had a feeling that she would be receiving an invitation to join the "Slug Club".

"Excellent! Excellent! Now, this one here," he began while pointing at a third cauldron but Hermione's hand was already in the air. "Yes, my dear?"

"It's Amortentia!"

"It is indeed. The most powerful love potion in the world," Slughorn revealed to a few awed students. "It's supposed to smell differently to each individual."

At this statement, everyone in the class took a large inhale of the steam rising in spirals from the cauldron.

Hermione flushed as she recognized freshly mown grass, new parchment, and spearmint.

Harry smelled treacle tart…the woody smell unique to a broomstick handle…and an unidentified flowery scent that reminded him of the Burrow for some reason.

Ron greedily drank in the smell of homemade, freshly baked pie, a blend of vanilla and cinnamon, and the leather of his Quidditch gloves. He was blissfully unaware that across the dungeon, Draco Malfoy smelt something quite similar from the simmering Amortentia.

While the boys in the room were distracted, Slughorn had asked Hermione for her name and asked if she was related to some famous wizard that they had never heard of and she had promptly, and proudly, informed him that she's a Muggle-born. Slughorn beamed, turned to Harry, and quoted him during his visit with Dumbledore. "Oh! 'One of my best friends is Muggle-born and she's the best in our year!' I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?"

"Yes, sir."

Slughorn continued to smile widely as he awarded Hermione twenty points for Gryffindor.

"Harry," she whispered. "Did you really tell him I'm the best in our year?" She looked positively radiant and even more flushed with embarrassment.

Ron whipped his head towards Harry and intervened. "So what? I'd have told him the same if he'd asked me! You _are_ the best in our year!"

Hermione promptly gestured for him to be quiet and turned her attention back to Slughorn. Ron grumbled and stared down at the wooden table top. Harry couldn't help but smirk to himself; Ron had always been the jealous type.

"Amortentia doesn't create love, of course," Slughorn continued. "It will cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room." He looked at Malfoy and Nott who were chuckling quietly. "Oh yes boys, do not underestimate the power of obsessive love."

Slughorn paused for a moment and then excitedly rubbed his hands together. "Now, it's time to start."

"Sir, you haven't told us what that one is," Ernie stated as he pointed at the cauldron set up on Slughorn's desk. Large, golden drops seemed to be leaping out of the cauldron but it did not spill onto the desk or floor.

"That one," Slughorn grinned, "is Felix Felicis."

"Liquid luck!" Hermione gasped.

The whole class instantly became more interested in the contents of the little cauldron with Hermione's exclamation.

"Precisely, Miss Granger. Very curious potion, Felix Felicis, desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, you will find that all your endeavours tend to succeed…at least until the effects wear off." He answered questions about the potion and then announced, "One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis, enough for twelve hours of luck, will go to the student who makes the best attempt at the Draught of Living Death in the remaining time that we have left. Instructions can be found on page ten of your textbooks."

The whole room seemed to buzz with excitement as each and every student was fully concentrating on earning the valuable prize. They lit their cauldrons and weighed ingredients in perfect silence. Harry opened his old copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ and frowned upon seeing that the previous owner had scribbled all over the pages.

After retrieving what he needed from the store cupboard and cutting up a few key ingredients, he looked around the room and saw that others were doing the same. People were always trying to cheat off of each other in Potions. Hermione seemed to be well on her way, Malfoy was working furiously, and Ron looked positively flustered. He looked down at his textbook again and tried to decipher the instructions from the numerous scribbles. He noticed that the previous owner had even rewritten some of the textbook instructions…very curious.

He decided to go with the owner's instruction of crushing the Sopophorous Bean when it proved difficult to cut, as the book instructed. He was pleased when the bean released an unbelievable amount of juice when he crushed it with Hermione's silver dagger. He was amazed that the owner had been right!

On a whim, Harry continued the owner's modified instructions for the rest of the class and when Slughorn called for them to stop stirring, his potion was the shade of pale pink that the textbook described as the endpoint. He saw that nobody else's potion, not even Hermione's, was paler than his.

"The clear winner!" Slughorn announced as he peered into Harry's cauldron. "You've inherited your mother's talent for Potions, I see!" He offered the small vial of golden liquid to Harry. "Here you are then, one bottle of Felix Felicis!"

Harry slipped the bottle into the inner pocket of his robes and protectively clutched his new, _prized_ copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ behind his back as he returned Slughorn's smile.

When they left the dungeons, he discreetly opened the front cover of his textbook before stuffing it into his bag. In the same scrawl as he had followed in class was written: _This Book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince_.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Harry walked at an anxious pace to the Headmaster's office. A fifth-year Gryffindor had given him a note from Dumbledore during his break after Defence Against the Dark Arts that told him to come to his office at seven. He hoped that he would begin his private lessons with Dumbledore tonight. He, Ron, and Hermione all had different theories about what Dumbledore would teach him and he was excited to finally find out.

He gave the gargoyles guarding the Headmaster's office the password and they promptly jumped out of the way to reveal the moving spiral staircase. Harry hopped on the stone steps and he reached the oak doors quickly. He knocked once and tentatively pushed the door open.

"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore greeted him with a smile. "Come in and sit down. Good first day of classes?"

"Yes, sir," he answered as he sat in the chair across from Dumbledore's large desk.

"A detention under your belt already," the Headmaster jested.

"Er…" Harry began awkwardly.

"You will be joining me this Saturday night for our first lesson so you will serve your detention with Professor Snape the Saturday next."

"Saturday will be our _first_ lesson, Professor?" He asked confused.

"Yes, Harry. Do you remember when I told you at the Burrow that I wish for you to receive lessons from another this year?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry nodded in response.

"Well, I brought you here this evening to introduce you to that person." There was a loud knock on the door and Dumbledore smiled. "That will be him now. Come in!"

Harry spun around in his chair and gazed at the door in anticipation. The door was slowly pushed open by a long, lean male frame in expensive, leather shoes and a tailored Hogwarts uniform. Harry first noticed the colours of the tie, emerald and silver…Slytherin colours…and then a head of white-blond hair.

"Malfoy?" He shouted incredulously.

**A/N:** So, there you have it: some things from the book that are necessary to be kept in this story, Malfoy/Hermione interaction, some Theodore Nott insight, and Harry is finally being told he has to work with Malfoy...very exciting!

Review and give me your thoughts! :)


	8. The Dark Mark

**A/N:** Thanks to my faithful reviewers! :)

Last time, we left a bewildered Harry...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 8 - The Dark Mark**

"Malfoy?" Harry repeated in disbelief. What in the world was Malfoy doing here? What was Dumbledore thinking? He trusts Snape and now he trusts _Malfoy_.

"Please take a seat, Draco," Dumbledore said while gesturing to the chair that he had just conjured next to Harry.

"I don't understand, Professor," the raven haired boy spoke up after closely watching Malfoy take a seat next to him. "How can _Malfoy_ help me? And why?"

"Mr. Malfoy has offered his inside perspective to us," the Headmaster explained.

"_Inside perspective_?" Harry repeated and he quickly realized that this was the perfect opportunity to discover the reason behind Malfoy's odd behaviour. He moved his gaze from Professor Dumbledore to the Slytherin beside him. "Are you a Death Eater?"

Malfoy nodded.

"Show me. Show me the Dark Mark," he demanded.

Malfoy laid his left arm on the arm of the chair so that it was in Harry's view, and slowly pulled up his sleeve. There, on Malfoy's pale, formerly unmarred skin was the grotesque magical tattoo given by Lord Voldemort himself. The snake wriggled, as it was known to do when Voldemort is strong, and the skin around it looked red and raw. Malfoy had been given the Mark recently.

"Happy?" Malfoy sneered.

"What were you doing in Borgin & Burkes?" Harry snapped.

Malfoy opened his mouth to respond but Dumbledore beat him to it. "Harry, Draco has been given a mission by Lord Voldemort, a mission which he is to complete and one that you are not to ask about."

"But sir…" Harry argued.

"The details of Draco's mission are between Draco, Professor Snape, and I. It is essential to your partnership that you are unaware of Draco's mission," Dumbledore said with finality.

"How do I know that I can trust him?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Malfoy's fists clenched in his lap and he gritted his teeth. "I took an Unbreakable Vow."

"Draco reached out to Professor Snape, at great personal risk, upon receiving his mission and they took an Unbreakable Vow," Dumbledore clarified.

"If I outright lie to you, I die. If I rat anything about you or your friends out to Death Eaters, I die," Malfoy stated. "As long as I'm alive, you can trust me."

Harry looked to Professor Dumbledore for confirmation and the older man nodded. Harry ran a hand through his unruly hair and took a moment to think. Malfoy, his rival since his very first ride on the Hogwarts Express, was now offering to be his ally. And he had taken an Unbreakable Vow…but why? Malfoy was a despicable human being, an absolute arsehole. He hated everything that people like Harry and Dumbledore stood for, and he doubted that Malfoy had seen the light.

"Why Malfoy? Why are you willing to help us?"

"A few different reasons Potter," he answered evasively. "My instincts of self-preservation are playing a large part."

"Do you have any other questions, Harry?" Dumbledore inquired.

"You said lessons earlier, Professor. What is he supposed to teach us?"

Malfoy scoffed, "You may have had Death Eaters after you since you were born but you haven't grown up around them or the Dark Arts. I have a set of skills that you don't, Potter."

"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore began when he saw Harry's look of contempt and scepticism. "Draco's insights into the Death Eaters and the Dark Arts will be very useful to you."

"Anything else, Potter?" Malfoy asked impatiently.

Harry grudgingly shook his head. He couldn't think of any other questions that he had for Malfoy…for now.

"Then the two of you should head back to your common rooms," Dumbledore told them.

The two young men stood at the same time. They left the office in step together and Harry imagined that if anyone else was to look upon the scene, they would be thoroughly confused to see the clash of Slytherin and Gryffindor colours and by these two particular boys standing beside each other. Malfoy and Potter were Hogwarts rivals, everyone knew that.

When they reached the point where Harry would head upstairs to Gryffindor Tower and Malfoy would walk downstairs towards the dungeons, Malfoy turned to Harry. "Meet me tomorrow night at nine, in the Prefects' bathroom, and bring Weasley and Granger."

He walked off without another word and Harry groaned. It would not be easy working with Malfoy, of that he was absolutely certain. It was probably for the best that Malfoy told him to bring Ron and Hermione along; at least Hermione would prevent him and Malfoy from killing each other.

Harry stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room and saw Ron and Hermione working in their usual corner by the fire. The trio always tried to claim that corner because it was the most private and it had the most comfortable chairs in the room. He smiled at the fact that Crookshanks was saving his spot.

"Harry," Ron looked up from his work and sighed in relief. "How was it?"

Crookshanks leapt out of the chair and into Hermione's lap, allowing Harry to sit down. "It was…unbelievable."

Ron and Hermione's eyes widened in excitement and Hermione quickly asked, "What did he teach you?"

"Nothing," Harry answered slowly.

The other two exchanged a troubled look. "Harry," Hermione began as if she was talking to a toddler. "You're not making any sense."

Harry raised his head to meet the worried gazes of his two closest friends and tried to shake himself out of the stupor that Malfoy's newfound allegiance had put him in. "Sorry. Our first lesson isn't until Saturday. Tonight, he introduced me to the other person who's giving me…well, us…private lessons this year."

"Who is it?" Ron asked enthusiastically.

"Malfoy."

"What?" Ron yelled. He dropped the textbook that he had been holding and it landed on his foot. He yelped and cursed, and a couple of third-years turned to stare at him. He composed himself and lowered his voice considerably. "What do you mean its Malfoy?"

"It can't be," Hermione argued.

Harry told them everything that Dumbledore had explained and everything that Draco had said. They, like him, were still in shock.

"Well," Ron began, "I guess that you were right about Malfoy after all."

Harry nodded. Ron was right but Harry didn't feel half as smug or pleased with himself as he had expected when finally proving that Malfoy is indeed a Death Eater.

"I can't believe he's a Death Eater," Hermione whispered.

"I can't believe he took an Unbreakable Vow. I mean, you can't break an Unbreakable Vow," Ron muttered.

Harry laughed for the first time in hours. "Yeah, I gathered that. He says that he can't lie to me."

"Well, that will certainly come in handy. He has to tell you the truth to any question that you directly ask him."

"Which is why Dumbledore said I'm not allowed to ask about his mission?"

"Has to be," Ron replied.

"That is slightly worrisome," Hermione spoke for the first time since Harry's tale. "Dumbledore doesn't want _you_ to know the mission that Voldemort has given Malfoy." She bit down on her bottom lip thoughtfully as she scratched behind Crookshanks' ears. "Obviously, it's specific to Hogwarts." She shook her head. "We probably shouldn't think about it too much, we're not supposed to know for a reason."

Ron nodded in agreement but Harry was still distressed and knew that eventually his curiosity would get the better of him. "I still won't fully trust him, Unbreakable Vow or not. I don't understand why he wants to do this. He's treated us like nothing but scum since first year, he worships his father, and he hasn't changed. It makes sense for him to be a Death Eater."

"He's a coward. He's trying to save his own skin," Ron stated.

"Yeah, I suppose," Harry agreed weakly.

As much as he believed that Malfoy truly hadn't changed, he couldn't help but think of something Sirius had said to him about his dad. _"A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it."_ Had Malfoy grown out of it?

His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione's voice. "So, what is he supposed to teach us?"

"I guess things that he knows about the Death Eaters and the Dark Arts that we don't," Harry answered. "He's right; he has been around it his whole life."

"Yeah, the Ministry raided Malfoy Manor after Lucius Malfoy was captured and Dad said that they found a lot of Dark artefacts. I'm sure it was a cozy house to grow up in," Ron joked.

Harry and Hermione laughed. Harry loved that his best friend knew when and how to cut the tension in the room. It seemed like it was a Weasley trait that had skipped over Percy.

After the laughter had died down, Harry spoke. "He said he wants to meet us tomorrow night."

There was a mixture of anticipation and dread in all three of their faces and neither of them said anything else.

"Okay," Ron piped up, "let's talk about something else."

"How did you make the perfect Draught of Living Death in Potions today, Harry?" Hermione blurted out. She had been containing the question since Potions class and it had finally escaped. She was trying not to appear envious but it was hard.

Stupidly, Harry had hoped that she wouldn't ask but he had seen the look of bewilderment and disappointment on her face in the dungeons this afternoon. He told them about his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ and Hermione, as he had expected, didn't look pleased. "I suppose you think its cheating?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly your own work, was it?" She debated.

"He only followed different instructions to ours," Ron defended. "Could've been a disaster, couldn't it? Wish Slughorn could have handed me that book," he finished quietly.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Hermione sighed. She gathered her things and headed towards the staircase that led to the dormitories. Crookshanks followed her at a slow trot.

"She's upset about the book, isn't she?" Harry asked aggravated. He loved Hermione but she couldn't stand being outperformed in class. She had to be the best and most of the time that was endearing, and sometimes it wasn't.

"I reckon, mate," he replied as he turned back around to face Harry. Once again, his eyes had followed Hermione out of the room.

"Will you stop staring at her," Harry laughed.

Ron turned beet red and attempted to stutter out a reply. "I-I wasn't st-staring…Crookshanks…I was…oh sod off, Harry! I don't _stare_!"

"Yeah, okay," he chuckled sarcastically. "I'm going to head up to bed too."

"Yeah, I'm coming," Ron mumbled.

Both boys were oblivious that Lavender Brown, sitting in the opposite corner with Parvati Patil, watched Ron leave the room.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

The next night, the Gryffindor trio walked together to the Prefects' bathroom at nine o'clock to meet Malfoy.

"I have to finish Snape's homework tonight," Ron complained.

"Ronald, I'll help you when we get back to the common room," Hermione sighed.

Ron smiled and thanked her and Harry grinned at him but didn't dare try to catch his eye.

They reached the prestigious bathroom and Hermione stepped up to the door. She uttered the password, the door opened, and they quickly disappeared inside. It was the first time that Harry had been in the Prefects' bathroom since fourth year when Cedric Diggory had tipped him off about the clue to the Triwizard Tournament's second task. The bathroom was as beautiful and spacious as he remembered it.

Malfoy was already there and casually leaning against the vanity next to the large bathtub, dressed all in black. He wasn't even looking at them when he said, "Lock the door."

Hermione turned around, pointed her wand at the bathroom door, and uttered a charm. They heard the click of the lock and then the three Gryffindors faced the Slytherin in silence.

"Why did you want to meet here, Malfoy?" Harry finally asked.

"We all have authorized access to this room."

Hermione had to admit that his logic was sound. She, Ron, and Malfoy were all Prefects and Harry was allowed to use this bathroom now because he was the new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.

"So," he continued, "I figured that it would be an unsuspicious place to meet until we all have our means of communication."

"Our means of communication?" Hermione repeated.

"Oh yes…Um…" Malfoy paused as he put a hand in the pocket of his trousers and fished out four fake Galleons. "I actually got the idea from you, Granger. Not quite as effective as the Dark Mark of course but they'll due," he said as he tossed a Galleon at each of them. "I know that you don't see many of these but surely you recognize a Galleon, Weasley," he sneered.

Ron stared at Malfoy angrily but couldn't come up with a worthy retort because it was true that he hadn't seen too many Galleons in his life.

Hermione caught her Galleon clumsily and examined it. "A Protean Charm."

"Just like you did for the D.A., 'Mione?" Ron asked.

Malfoy answered his question for her. "Yes, any one of us can use it to send a message to the other three to arrange a meeting or for emergencies. Keep them on you at all times."

"Where will we meet in the future?" Harry inquired.

"The Room of Requirement," Malfoy replied.

Harry immediately shook his head. "You and Umbridge were able to find us when we were in there with the D.A., so wouldn't anybody be able to find us if they were looking?"

"No, I don't think so. Before, I knew that you were in there and what you were doing, so I knew exactly what to ask the room for."

Hermione agreed with Malfoy. "He's right; we'll just have to be very specific with what we want from the room."

"Okay, as pleasant as this has been," Malfoy began sarcastically. "I think I'll be heading back now. I'll message soon."

Ron stepped into his path to the door. His hostility towards Malfoy had only increased from being in the same room with him for so long. "Wait a minute. I wanna know what exactly we're supposed to learn from you." He remembered what Harry had said but he wanted to hear it from Malfoy himself.

Malfoy sneered. "Exactly how much time have you spent in the presence of Death Eaters, Weasley?"

"Uh…"

"An hour? Two? The Battle of the Department of Mysteries? Yeah, well try sixteen years! Unfortunately, I know these people. I know how they think and I know how they'll operate. And I'll be privileged to information that Dumbledore will be likely to keep from you because I have this…" He pulled up the left sleeve of his black oxford and gave Weasley and Granger plenty of time to stare at his Dark Mark. Harry figured that he wanted to get the novelty out of the way. He sighed and looked each of them in the eye before he said, "Just to be clear, I don't want to do this anymore than you do and I certainly didn't ask for this lovely assignment. This is Dumbledore's idea and the only reason I am doing this is because Snape asked me to. Are we clear?" He asked forcefully.

"Yeah, we're clear, Malfoy," Hermione responded softly.

"Perfect." He fixed his shirt sleeve. "I will message soon. Now…goodnight." He pushed Weasley out of the way and stormed out of the bathroom.

"Foul git," said Ron.

Harry let out a chuckle as he pocketed his Galleon. He had expected Malfoy to have some form of an outburst but he hadn't expected it to be about his reluctance to provide _them_ with information. He had assumed that this was all Malfoy's idea. He now had a feeling that he and Malfoy were going to get along about as well as Snape and Sirius had.

**A/N**: He's moody but I love him. Lol. Thoughts on Malfoy's future relationship with Harry and Ron? Please review! And tell your friends! :)


	9. The Death Eaters

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 9 – The Death Eaters**

"Listen Harry," Hermione lectured after Double Potions on Friday. "I don't know if it's wise to listen to that book."

Harry rolled his eyes and protectively shielded his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_. In Potions class all week, he had decided to continue to follow the Prince's instructions whenever they differed from Libatius Borage's and it had yielded one impressive result after another. He had offered the book to her and Ron to use but the redhead had much more trouble picking out the handwriting than Harry did and she stubbornly stuck to her own textbook. She was becoming increasingly sour with being demoted to the position of second best in Potions.

"Come on, 'Mione," Ron began playfully, "Slughorn thinks he's a genius. There's no harm in it."

Hermione scowled at the two boys as they stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room and collapsed onto the sofa. She sat in a nearby chair and began pulling homework out of her bag to get a start on.

"Hermione," Harry sighed. "You already cast a spell on it and proved that it's just a book."

"Yes, but we don't know anything about this _Prince_ person!"

Her mouth dropped open in shock when she felt a burning sensation in the pocket of her jumper. She pulled the fake Galleon that Malfoy had given her out of her pocket and watched Ron and Harry do the same. She had to applaud Malfoy's timing; the Slytherin had just saved her from another row with Harry.

The coin read: _8PM ROR_.

The first message disappeared and the coin burned again.

_Think 'I need a place to meet Malfoy'._

"Well, it looks like we'll be meeting Malfoy tonight," Ron stated quietly. "Wanna get a little Quidditch practice in before supper, Harry?" He asked eagerly.

"Yeah sure," Harry accepted. "See you in the Great Hall, Hermione?"

She nodded. "Have fun."

She blushed when Ron looked over his shoulder and smiled shyly at her as he left the room behind Harry.

Things had been changing between her and Ron since third year but there had been a more noticeable shift in their friendship when she had arrived at the Burrow this past summer. Hopefully Ron would finally make a move on her this year. She would even settle for an invitation to Hogsmeade. Surely, he could see the very obvious signals that she was sending him. Well, she thought that she was being obvious but she didn't have much experience in that area because her only previous boyfriend had pursued her. Viktor Krum had chased her. He had essentially swept her off of her feet when she hadn't had any initial interest in him. She thought that she was sending a clear message to Ron but if she wasn't then she wasn't sure what else she could do to make it any plainer to Ron that she had feelings for him.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione and Ron kept a close watch on the seventh floor corridor to make sure that no one wandered by while Harry paced in front of the Room of Requirement, thinking 'I need a place to meet Malfoy'. After Harry had passed the wall for the third time, a door appeared and they quickly rushed inside.

As they had expected, Malfoy was already present in the room but Hermione was too busy soaking up every detail of her surroundings to pay attention to him. She had only ever seen the Room of Requirement while using it with Dumbledore's Army and the room looked completely different now. It looked like the cosiest classroom that Hermione had ever seen. There was a fireplace in the center of the back wall behind a large rug, which lay beneath a square of four large, comfortable looking armchairs. The right side of the room was lined with bookshelves, there was also a desk and a table equipped with supplies and ingredients for various potions. Oddly, the opposite side of the room was bare and the walls were mirrors. The left side of the room looked like a duelling space.

"Glad that you could make it," Malfoy spoke from the chair closest to the roaring fire.

The trio each claimed an armchair and Hermione ended up sitting across from Malfoy with Ron on her right and Harry on her left.

"Nice room, ferret," Ron jibed.

"Thanks weasel," Malfoy retorted.

She sighed, "Can't we at least be civil?"

"Of course you would be the first to suggest a truce, Mudblood," the blonde sneered.

Ron jumped to his feet at the use of the slur but Hermione softly told him to sit back down. Honestly, that word didn't even bother her anymore. When she was younger, it practically brought her to tears every time she was called a Mudblood but now Malfoy had said it so often to her, it had lost all meaning. She was proud to be a Muggle-born and she didn't care what any pure-blood thought of her.

"Why shouldn't we have a truce? We're on the same side now," she pointed out.

Malfoy shuddered, "Don't remind me."

Hermione rolled her eyes and ignored him. "So, no name calling? First and last names only, deal?"

Harry readily agreed while Ron and Malfoy both reluctantly nodded.

"So, what's on the agenda?" She asked rather excitedly. Her thirst for knowledge could not be denied. She was interested to hear what Malfoy had to say.

"Tonight, we're going to talk about the Death Eaters." He lazily flicked his wand and a quill, ink bottle, and parchment flew across the room towards him. "Oh, and I'd work on your non-verbal magic if I were you, I've been practicing since June."

"You practiced magic over the summer?" Harry inquired.

"The Ministry of Magic monitors the use of underage magic by household, as long as you're living with of age wizards and witches they can't prove anything. So, yes, I've been practicing duelling non-verbally since June."

Malfoy began to write on the piece of parchment and they watched with interest.

"Unsurprisingly, the Death Eaters have a rigid hierarchy," he began slowly. "The Dark Lord has many followers but only those he deems most worthy become true Death Eaters, meaning that they wear Death Eater robes and have been branded with the Dark Mark. For instance, Fenrir Greyback does not have the Dark Mark, as if the Dark Lord would ever give his precious mark to a half-breed," he scoffed in disgust. "But the Dark Lord allows him to wear Death Eater robes because he knows how useful Greyback's savagery can be."

"Who is Fenrir Greyback?" Harry asked.

"A werewolf."

"Don't call him a half-breed," Hermione told him indignantly.

Malfoy chuckled, knowing the reason behind her outburst. "Greyback is as far from Lupin as a werewolf can get. He loves it. Revels in it. He enjoys biting children and has developed a taste for human flesh in his human form." He shuddered as if thinking of a personal memory of Greyback. "He believes that werewolves shouldn't have to hide underground and that they shouldn't be denied blood. He thinks that supporting the Dark Lord is the best way to achieve those things and to maybe get a few rewards for himself in the process."

She had a sinking feeling that she knew what kind of "rewards" Malfoy was talking about and the looks of equal revulsion on Harry and Ron's faces showed that they knew as well. She didn't want to ever cross paths with Fenrir Greyback.

"The Death Eaters are the Dark Lord's inner circle," Malfoy explained. "The Dark Lord holds meetings where Death Eaters try to appear to be a bit more than just servants because the Dark Lord plays favourites to those who give him the best advice."

"Who is his favourite right now?" Ron asked curiously.

Malfoy pondered the question for a moment. "I would say Snape."

Harry's fists clenched in anger and he shifted in his chair but Malfoy didn't notice the movements and carried on.

"Now, there are perks to being in the Dark Lord's inner circle, besides the free robes and the charming, one-way trip to the Dark Lord's side tattoo, I mean," he said sarcastically. "They are usually privy to the Dark Lord's most important plans, which these days seem to be anything Harry Potter related. Also, inner circle members cannot fatally harm each other without the Dark Lord's consent."

"Wait! Are you saying that the only way that a Death Eater can kill you is if Voldemort orders them to?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Yes," he answered. "Well, they could kill me by non-magical means, I suppose."

"Wow," she said amazed.

"So, you're like invincible to Death Eaters?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Only for as long as I keep my cover, Weasley. I didn't even know about this convenient bit of magic until Snape told me. He figures it's the Dark Lord's way of making sure that there are no power struggles within the ranks."

"Well, that makes sense," Hermione agreed. "It would also prevent a traitor from eliminating Death Eaters. Smart."

"Only you would appreciate the cleverness, Granger," Malfoy laughed.

"But," Harry began thoughtfully, "you can't kill Death Eaters either."

"No," he sighed, "sadly, I cannot…as long as I have the Dark Mark anyway."

"Is there a way to get rid of the Dark Mark?" Ron asked. "I always thought it was a permanent thing."

"Yes, there's a way to get rid of it but it's complicated and painful. You're supposed to die in the process. The Death Eaters are blood in and blood out."

Hermione noticed that the silence that settled in the room made Malfoy very comfortable. He constantly shifted in his seat and continued to scribble on his piece of parchment. She, Harry, and Ron had been dealing with Voldemort and the Dark Arts since they were eleven but they hadn't grasped the magnitude of what becoming a Death Eater meant until Malfoy had explained it to them. It was a lifelong commitment of service and loyalty and the only way to stop being a Death Eater was to die. She couldn't help but wonder why would Malfoy, a sixteen-year-old _boy_, jump into something like that? She had always known that he was a cold, arrogant, snide, cowardly elitist…and a lot more negative adjectives…but she never thought that he would become a Death Eater. He was full of talk, not action.

"Here's what you need," Malfoy declared as he held up the piece of parchment for them to see. "All the current Death Eaters, including those in Azkaban because the Dementors will let them out eventually…it's only a matter of time."

He swiftly bewitched the piece of parchment so that it enlarged and then floated beside his head so that she, Ron, and Harry could read it. _The Dark Lord _was written and underlined at the top of the parchment and the names of the Death Eaters were written beneath in a very specific order.

"Listen carefully," Malfoy began in the dignified voice of a teacher. "The more that you know about the enemy, the more successful you will be in war, or so the Dark Lord says," he smirked. He pointed to the second name on the list with his wand, "The unofficial second-in-command. The Dark Lord doesn't think there will ever be a situation where he is not the one to give the final order but it is commonly recognized amongst the inner circle that her word is as good as the Dark Lord's. I know that you've all met my lovely Aunt Bella."

Harry reflexively gripped his wand. Hermione and Ron knew that he wanted revenge on Bellatrix Lestrange for murdering Sirius at the Department of Mysteries.

"She's powerful, ruthless, and practically as mad as the Dark Lord himself. She absolutely worships him," Malfoy spat. "She'll fight 'til the very end and she'll be difficult to kill." He moved his wand to the next name. "Snape is the Dark Lord's most trusted advisor which is perfect for the Order. Then there's…"

"You don't distrust Snape at all?" Harry interrupted.

"No," Malfoy answered him quickly. "He's my godfather, I trust him with my life. We made the Unbreakable Vow. If he was truly loyal to the Dark Lord than why didn't he turn me in on the spot when I confessed to him that I had no intention of completing the Death Eater mission that I had been given?"

Hermione absorbed what Malfoy had just said before exchanging looks with Harry and Ron. She asked the question that the three of them were thinking. "Professor Snape is your _godfather_?"

"Yes," he replied shortly. "Now, as I was saying, then there would be my father. Although the Dark Lord is not happy with him right now because he led the mission to retrieve the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries. It's probably a good thing that Father is in Azkaban," he said quietly to himself.

"Do you know how your father will be if…when he gets out of Azkaban?" Hermione asked awkwardly.

"No idea. My father's beliefs are…cemented. Regardless, he can duel with the best of them and is a specialist in the Imperius Curse."

It was easy enough to tell that the last thing that Malfoy wanted to do was to talk about his father and Hermione felt a tinge of sympathy for the blonde haired Slytherin.

"Then there are the original Death Eaters, the closest thing that the Dark Lord has ever had to friends were his band of followers while he was at Hogwarts. Dolohov, Rodolphus Lestrange, Nott, Avery, and Mulciber have served him the longest. Dolohov is very powerful, favours a ton of hexes and curses that are rare. I think he invented a lot of them himself."

"He cursed Hermione at the Department of Mysteries," Ron supplied.

"Yeah, I still have the scar." She placed her hand on the right side of her rib cage and felt the remnants of the scar through her jumper.

"Rodolphus Lestrange," Malfoy continued as he didn't seem particularly interested in her scar, "is almost as mad as his wife. Azkaban had a lasting effect on him and I can't stand to be in the same room with him but he can still duel." He moved his wand lower yet again. "These Death Eaters all have some inside information about the Ministry. Augustus Rookwood and Walden Macnair both worked for the Ministry but Yaxley _still_ works there. Weasley, I'd tell your father to keep an eye on him."

Ron nodded and Hermione had never seen him look so receptive to one of Malfoy's ideas. Maybe there was hope for this arrangement yet.

"And then you have a string of Death Eaters who have proven themselves to be brawny rather than brainy. The Dark Lord primarily sends them out on missions to kidnap or kill. The Carrows are vile, true lowlifes. They own a shop in Knockturn Alley. Travers has shown that he's very good at intimidating others and Rowle is a beast of a man, he's just as likely to kill you with his bare hands."

The other names on that line of the parchment were Crabbe, Gibbon, Goyle, Jugson, Rabastan Lestrange, Selwyn, Parkinson, Greengrass, and Avery and Mulciber, who were the sons of two of Voldemort's original Death Eaters.

"Why is Peter Pettigrew up there next to Voldemort?" Harry asked.

Both Malfoy and Ron visibly shuddered at Harry referring to You-Know-Who by his preferred name.

"Pettigrew's name is next to the _Dark Lord_ because he rarely leaves his side. He's the Dark Lord's personal servant and a complete joke to the other Death Eaters," he explained.

Harry was quick to ask another question. "Where does your mother's name belong?"

"My mother is not a Death Eater, Potter!" Malfoy roared as he got to his feet.

Harry stood as well. "How can she not be a Death Eater? Her husband is a Death Eater! Her sister is a Death Eater!" He argued.

Hermione and Ron decided to intervene before wands were drawn. She placed a hand on Harry's chest and gently pushed him back. "Settle down, Harry. If you don't believe him, just ask him."

"He can't lie to you, mate," Ron pointed out.

Hermione pulled Harry back towards his chair and forced him to sit down. "Just ask him, Harry."

"Is your mother a Death Eater?" Harry finally asked through gritted teeth and narrowed, angry eyes.

Malfoy stared back at Harry and answered slowly and clearly, "No."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Happy?" Malfoy snapped. He kept his eyes on Harry as he sat back down in his chair. "Any other questions?"

Harry shook his head but Ron, who was still standing, was looking at the piece of parchment closely. "Yeah, I have one…why is your name up here?" He pointed to where Malfoy had written his name besides his father's.

Malfoy laughed humourlessly, "Because I'm the Dark Lord's 'Chosen One' or the Potter of the Dark side, whichever you prefer to call me."

Ron's mouth dropped open in awe. "Are you bloody serious?"

"That's how the other Death Eaters treat me," he responded quietly. "My mother has a different theory, however."

"Which is?" Hermione inquired.

"That the Dark Lord is using me to punish my family."

Again, Hermione felt a tinge of sympathy.

"I think that's enough for tonight," Malfoy declared abruptly. He sent the quill, ink, and parchment, returned to its normal size, back to the desk. "We can leave that here with the room."

Harry and Ron headed for the door and Hermione trailed behind them. She felt that some parting comment was necessary. "See you later, Malfoy," she said meekly.

He raised his hand in acknowledgement but nothing more.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco left the Room of Requirement after the three Gryffindors and watched the stone wall return to normal. Their first meeting…or whatever…went better than he thought it would. Tempers had only flared up once and that was when his mother was brought into the conversation, although Weasley did become agitated when he had called Granger a Mudblood. He was always the first to jump to Granger's defence. Weasley was a true Gryffindor.

He walked back and forth in front of the wall as he thought, 'I need the room where the Vanishing Cabinet is hidden.'

Another door formed in the wall and he tentatively opened it. He stepped inside the large room, closed the door behind him, and took in his new surroundings. The room before him was cluttered, dusty, and filled with trash. There were piles and piles of objects that had been forgotten, lost, or discarded over time. He walked forward and spotted a large cabinet covered by a black sheet. He yanked the sheet off and coughed because of the amount of dust that he had just released into the air. He stared at the cabinet that was an exact replica of the one in Borgin & Burkes.

"Here we go," he said to himself.

**A/N:** Give me your thoughts on Malfoy's information about the Death Eaters and the Dark Mark. And the relationship between Hermione and Ron will be canon.

Please review and have a happy holiday season! :)


	10. Draco's Distractions

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Enjoy and once again, this is unbetaed.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 10 – Draco's Distractions**

Theodore Nott stopped writing the concluding paragraph of his Transfiguration essay and looked across the library table that he was sharing with Draco. The blonde was hunched over his complicated Arithmancy homework with a grimace on his face. "You okay, Drake?" He asked in concern.

Draco nodded and responded quietly, "Yeah, just got a little bit of a headache."

Theo had noticed some small changes in Draco since they had returned to Hogwarts just over two weeks ago. They were changes that only someone who knew Draco as well as him would pick up on. He was quieter, a little more reserved with a lot less bravado than usual. He complained of a headache frequently and didn't seem to have much of an appetite. Theo heard him toss and turn in his bed at night and he consistently appeared exhausted throughout the day. He was starting to spend more time wandering the castle than in the Slytherin Common Room. He also seemed to have a bit of trouble keeping up with his studies and he hadn't been down to the Quidditch Pitch too often, both of which were very out of character.

"Are you sure something's not going on? I won't even tell Daph," he pushed.

His friend shook his head. "No, it's nothing. I've just been feeling a little under the weather lately. Maybe I'll go and see Madam Pomfrey later."

"Yeah, you should."

Draco was now staring at something over Theo's right shoulder and he quickly turned around in his chair to see what had captured his companion's attention. He grinned to himself as he saw that the only person in sight was Granger, occupying her usual spot in the library. As if she could feel their stares, she lifted her head and eyed them curiously. Theo smiled at her charmingly and waved before turning back to Draco.

He raised his eyebrows mischievously. "Interested?"

"Interested in what?" Draco asked.

"In Granger," Theo answered as he tilted his head backwards. "If I didn't have a girlfriend, I would be."

"No! Merlin, no! Its Granger…she's…no!"

Theo chuckled, "You sound really convincing, Drake."

Draco rolled his eyes and returned to his work. He dipped his quill into his ink bottle with excessive force and Theo laughed. He had seen that look of defiance and excitement in his best friend's eyes before and it was usually the look he wore before he decided to chase after a girl. Draco may say that he isn't interested in Granger but something about her was definitely on his mind. Draco liked a challenge and Hermione Granger was definitely a challenge.

"Is it the whole Mudblood thing that's bothering you because I think that you should just get over it?"

Draco's head snapped up again. "Are you bloody serious? I'm a Malfoy!"

"Yeah, and I'm a Nott!" His family was just as pure of blood as the Malfoys and Draco knew it. "But I'm not with Daphne because she's a pure-blood. And, let's face it mate, if you want a pure-blood girl your options are limited. None of them are half as smart or good-looking as Granger, except for my Daphne, of course," he added proudly.

"Astoria's pretty good-looking," Draco mumbled.

Theo groaned at the mention of his girlfriend's younger sister. "That girl is a banshee. She'd drive you mad!"

"What about Tracey Davis?"

"Hot," Theo admitted, "but as dumb as a mountain troll."

Draco laughed and then asked, "Are you actually encouraging me to pursue Granger?"

He shrugged, "I'm just saying you shouldn't rule out the possibility because she's Muggle-born. She'd be good for you, she'd put you in your place," he laughed. "I mean, now that you and Pansy are…what are you and Pansy? Are you two still together?"

"I actually don't know," he sighed.

"You don't know?" He laughed out loud and Granger quickly hushed him. He turned his head and winked at her. "Sorry, love."

"Pansy has been acting differently lately," Draco explained.

"You mean she hasn't been needy or suffocating?"

Draco chuckled, "Yeah, exactly."

"Weird," Theo mused as he ran a hand through his closely cut dark hair. "Do you think her father said something to her?" He proposed in a whisper.

"Maybe," Draco answered uncomfortably.

Theo observed Draco's solemn demeanour with a frown before his playfulness returned. Granger had packed up her things and was now standing at the end of their table. She shifted from one foot to the other and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Malfoy, do you have your half of our Arithmancy project done?"

"Almost," he growled. "I'll get it to you after supper."

"You know, I can just do it myself and put your name on it," she told him impatiently. "You were the one who insisted on splitting it."

"I can do it, Granger!" He exclaimed in frustration. "I just need a little more time."

"Okay," she said softly. "Then I'll see you later."

"Yeah, bye," Draco replied distractedly.

"Bye Granger," Theo grinned.

"Um…bye," she responded awkwardly before she walked away.

"Draco," Theo began in a teasing voice, "why so uptight around Granger?"

Draco responded by sneering and throwing a bit of crumpled up parchment at Theo's head.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco had only been back at Hogwarts for a little over two weeks and he was already feeling stretched to his breaking point. He was plagued with constant headaches and the fact that he could barely sleep and eat wasn't helping. He used every free period that he had in his schedule to keep up with his school work but he was still falling behind. He wasn't having trouble with the new material…well, maybe he was having a _little_ difficultly but his biggest problem was that he didn't have the time to finish most assignments between his meetings with Potter, Granger, and Weasley and his attempt to fix the Vanishing Cabinet. He didn't even have time to fly around the Quidditch Pitch to relieve all of his pent up stress.

He already never wanted to see that Vanishing Cabinet ever again! He had decided that he needed to take a break from the bloody cabinet because he had spent time fixing it every night for almost a week and a half, he had nothing to show for it thus far, and he was getting very frustrated. He just needed a little bit of time to regroup before he tried again. He was getting a terrible feeling that he may have to resort to other extreme measures to complete his mission.

On a slightly more positive note, his meetings with Gryffindor's Golden Trio were going fairly well. They had now exhausted the topic of Death Eaters and they seemed to grasp what he was trying to get across to them: that being a Death Eater was like a lifetime career, a lifestyle choice. They had started practicing duelling non-verbally every second night and it was progressing nicely. Granger was already almost as good as him.

What Draco had found the most interesting thus far was the information that Potter had brought after his first private lesson with Dumbledore. The Headmaster was showing Potter memories that he had collected over the years concerning the Dark Lord. Potter was learning everything he could about the Dark Lord's past and Draco could definitely see the merit in it. Snape had been right when he told Draco that Potter and his sidekicks would tell him things about the Dark Lord that were unbelievable and kept a secret. He was now privy to these dark secrets and he was bound not to discuss them with anyone besides Potter, Weasley, and Granger.

Potter had told them that he had looked at a memory of some former Ministry official named Bob Ogden. Ogden had been sent by the Ministry to investigate the pure-blood Gaunt family, who were direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin and the Peverell family. They possessed a locket and a ring that they claimed were family heirlooms. They learned that Marvolo Gaunt, the family patriarch, was the Dark Lord's grandfather and his daughter, Merope, was the Dark Lord's mother. She had been in love with a Muggle from the nearby town named Tom Riddle. The filthy Muggle, who Merope had most likely bewitched with a love potion, had abandoned Merope while she was pregnant and returned to his rich parents. Dumbledore believed that Merope had decided to stop using magic on him because she loved him so much.

Draco had been completely flabbergasted. He had never heard such things about the Dark Lord…or Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was a half-blood! The powerful wizard who claimed pure-bloods to be superior to all others was a filthy half-blood! If he hadn't already fully committed himself to the Order, he would after hearing that information. He would not serve a mad, lying hypocrite. Oh, how he would love to share his new knowledge with his Aunt Bella. He could just picture the look of outrage on her face and he would probably be on the end of her Cruciatus Curse pretty quickly…but it would definitely be worth it.

As they traded valuable information and skills, he kept a close eye on the three Gryffindors. His summer spent with Snape had engrained in him the need to be observant of every movement of those around him. Draco had spent more time with Potter, Weasley, and Granger over the past two weeks than he had in the previous five years of their schooling together and he learned that most of his preconceived notions were accurate.

Potter kept his emotions very close to the surface and was quick to argue and become upset. His skill in Defence Against the Dark Arts was natural and not learned and Draco could already see that he would be willing to risk his own life for anyone that he cared about. He would be willing to risk his life to end this war. This was a trait of Potter's that the Dark Lord had used against him but it was also what prevented him from being possessed by the Dark Lord. It seemed that for Potter, being undisciplined was saving his life.

Weasley wasn't as magically gifted as his two friends but he was determined to fight. His joking and attempts at comic relief annoyed Draco to no end but he admired his staggering loyalty to Potter. Weasley really was the trusting sidekick that Draco had always mocked him for being. He was also a Gryffindor through and through, there was no way that the Sorting Hat had considered placing him in a different house for a second. And with Weasley being a true Gryffindor and Draco a true Slytherin, it made it next to impossible for them to agree on anything.

Finally, there was Granger. She was the clever, bossy, prissy know-it-all that he had always thought her to be and she was _such_ a bleeding heart. She was determined to do everything that she could to "make the world a better place". She would follow both Potter and Weasley to the end of the earth if they needed her to. She was hardworking, independent, and stubborn. She disguised her fear of failure by taking every opportunity to prove that she was the best and she covered her worries with fearlessness. She was more than just a bookworm and she was intriguing. Draco was not interested in her, despite Theo's prodding, he was just…_intrigued_. It seemed as though listening to her drone on and on was the only thing that quelled his headaches; she actually had a rather soft, lovely voice.

After supper in the Great Hall, Draco approached her table in the library with his finished portion of their Arithmancy project. He laid it down on top of the book that she was reading so that he interrupted her. "Here."

She raised her head slowly and gave him a small, awkward smile. "Thanks."

"Look over it," he demanded as he sat down in the chair across from her without invitation.

"Malfoy, I'm sure it's…"

"No, look over it now, while I'm here so I can fix anything if necessary. You'll correct it when I leave anyway."

"Fine," she sighed. She fingered the parchment as she looked over his work.

Draco took the time that she was engrossed in Arithmancy to study her. He didn't find her overly attractive…she wasn't really his type…but she did have attractive features. She wasn't striking like Daphne Greengrass or Parvati Patil and she didn't flaunt her assets like Pansy and Lavender Brown but she was beautiful. You just had to look closely to appreciate the beauty of her face. Her eyes were a dark, chocolate brown. Her features were well-defined and perfectly symmetrical yet still feminine. He particularly liked her jawline. And her skin was flawless and creamy…

"It's fine," she declared as she laid the parchment back down.

He nodded and looked away from her. "I knew it would be," he said confidently.

She chewed on her bottom lip as the silence between them dragged on.

"Uh, do you need something else?" She asked while looking at him curiously.

"Can I look over your half of our Arithmancy project?"

She raised an eyebrow in challenge but didn't snap at him. She simply found what he was asking for in her bag and handed it to him.

He pushed it back towards her. "Read it out loud."

"This is the library," she protested.

"So, read quietly," he sneered. "We're all the way in the back anyway."

"What do you really want?" She asked distrustfully.

He rolled his eyes. "I want you to read it out loud. I don't always have an ulterior motive."

"I doubt that," she argued. She sighed before beginning to read her homework aloud to him, albeit quietly.

Draco smiled to himself as the pain in his head lessened considerably.

**A/N: **Yay for Hermione/Draco interaction! Tell me what you think of Draco's perspective, and don't you just love Theo Nott! Lol. Please review!


	11. Hermione's Helping Hand

****A/N:**** So, long time, no post. To be honest, I gave up on this story because it didn't receive the reaction that I had hoped for but I really do love it and suddenly have the urge to see it through. So, if you're reading, please hang in there and I hope that you enjoy despite the hiatus.

****Disclaimer:** **I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 11 – Hermione's Helping Hand and Pansy's Persuaded Parting**

Ron Weasley ate his Saturday morning breakfast with a lot less enthusiasm than usual. Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts were in another hour and a half and he was terribly nervous. His place as Keeper on the team last year did not guarantee him the position this year and he wanted to perform especially well because Harry was Captain this year and responsible for picking the team.

Despite the fact that he was nervous, he was excited to get out on the Quidditch Pitch. He had so much homework to do that he didn't even want to think about it. Their lessons were difficult and their free periods were not the hours of relaxation that he wanted. He and Harry barely understood Transfiguration class these days and Charms was becoming more intense as well. They were depending on Hermione more than ever and he hated to admit that if it wasn't for Malfoy making him practice non-verbal spells then he wouldn't be keeping up in a lot of his classes, but it was true. Herbology was quickly becoming his favourite subject because they worked in a group and it was the least stressful.

Quidditch and school was enough to have on his mind without having girl trouble for the first time in his life. He didn't know what to do about the situation between him and Hermione. He was pretty certain that she had feelings for him too but he didn't want to risk anything. He had considered talking to Harry about it before deciding that it would be too embarrassing. Ron spent most of his time these days thinking about Hermione in ways that would make their best friend very uncomfortable and they had never had many discussions about girls anyway. He definitely wasn't going to ask any of his brothers for advice so he was out of ideas.

Also, Lavender Brown had been very obviously flirting with him lately and he wasn't sure what to make of it. She had never shown any interest in him before but she had been dating Seamus last year and he had changed over the summer. He had to admit that he enjoyed the attention and the flattery…Hermione didn't treat him like that.

Ron tuned back into Harry and Hermione's conversation to hear her express her unhappiness with their lack of communication with Hagrid. The half-Giant seemed to have taken it personally that the three of them had decided not to continue on to N.E.W.T. level in Care of Magical Creatures. He had even stopped coming to the Great Hall for meals and avoided them on the grounds.

"I hate not talking to Hagrid," she frowned.

"We'll go down to see him after Quidditch tryouts," Harry told her. "But trials might take all morning," he sighed, "with the number of people that have signed up. The team's popular all of a sudden."

Hermione scoffed, "Honestly Harry, it's not the team that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting and, frankly, you've never been more fanciable."

Ron choked on the piece of kipper that he was eating and looked at Hermione with wide eyes. She simply glanced at him with a look of disgust over his poor table manners before focusing her attention back on Harry.

"Everyone knows that you were telling the truth about you and Voldemort now, don't they? They're all calling you the "Chosen One" and after all that the Ministry put you through…well, people are fascinated by you. It doesn't hurt that you've grown quite tall and handsome, either," she finished.

Ron was shocked by what he was hearing and when he turned to his best friend for his reaction, he found Harry flushed. However, Ron was pleased to see that Hermione was rather unaffected by her assessment of Harry. She had simply returned to her breakfast and that tell-tale blush hadn't spread across her cheeks. Well, at least Hermione wasn't one of the dozens of girls in the castle who now fancied Harry.

Luckily, the owl post arrived just in time to break the developing tension between the three friends. Hundreds of owls swooped into the Great Hall, dropping packages and landing on tables. They flapped their wings and scattered drops of water everywhere.

It didn't look to be the best weather for Quidditch.

An owl delivered Hermione's subscription to the _Daily Prophet_ and Hedwig and Pigwidgeon brought Harry and Ron identical packages from Flourish and Blotts. Hermione's face lit up excitedly when they pulled open their brand new copies of _Advanced Potion-Making_. However, Harry promptly switched the cover of the new book with the cover of his very old copy of the same textbook. The Prince's copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ was now disguised as new and Hermione did not look pleased. She angrily pressed her lips together and roughly opened her newspaper.

"What? I'll just give Slughorn back the new copy. He can't complain, it cost nine Galleons," Harry argued.

Hermione ignored him and read her paper. She gave them the gist of the headlines, there had been a few Dementor attacks and a couple of bogus arrests.

"The Ministry wants to appear proactive and look like they're doing something because people are terrified," she explained. "Some people even think that Hogwarts isn't safe anymore. The Patil twins' parents want them to go home and Eloise Midgen's father came to pick her up last night."

"What?" Ron asked in shock. "There's no safer place than Hogwarts! We've got Aurors and extra protective spells…"

"And we've got Dumbledore," Harry added passionately and Ron nodded in agreement.

"Haven't you two noticed how often he's been gone lately?" Hermione asked quietly.

Ron and Harry looked up at the staff table at the same time and sure enough, the Headmaster's chair was empty.

"I think he's left the school to do something for the Order. It's like Malfoy says, this war is moving quicker than most people realize," she said solemnly.

The two boys did not respond but they knew that she was right. The Dementor attacks, disappearances, and deaths were continuing and they were affecting people at Hogwarts. Just the other day, Hannah Abbott had been pulled out of Herbology to be told that her mother had been found dead. Undercover Death Eaters were hard at work hunting down vulnerable members of the Order of the Phoenix and their allies and the only reason that Ron felt comfortable was because he knew that his family was being protected by the Ministry.

A few minutes later, they finished up their breakfast and left the Great Hall. Ron's nerves increased as they neared the Quidditch Pitch. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown passed them on the way down with their heads close together, whispering furiously. Parvati lightly nudged Lavender in the side and she turned her head quickly and smiled brightly at Ron. He smiled back unsurely but instantly felt himself grow more confident. After all, Lavender was very attractive. He noticed Hermione's expression had turned sour and he had to admit that he quite liked the idea of her being jealous.

Hermione left to find a seat in the stands without a word and he and Harry headed to the locker room to change into practice robes. They made their way out onto the pitch and Ron saw that Harry was right about the number of people that had signed up to tryout. It looked like half of Gryffindor House was on the pitch.

Ron stood next to the edge of the pitch, alongside the other Keeper hopefuls, and anxiously clutched his Cleansweep Eleven as Harry ran the students trying out for the positions of Beater and Chaser through their paces. He didn't pay much attention to how anyone else was performing; he was too worried about his competition, well, one person in particular.

Cormac McLaggen was a seventh-year that Ron hadn't had much contact with over the years but he was a tall, broad, good-looking bloke. He was much larger than Ron and would block the goalhoops from a Chaser's sight with his sheer physical size. He leaned on his broomstick confidently and gazed up into the stands. He wasn't paying much attention to the other tryouts either.

"Hey Weasley, is your friend Granger seeing anyone?" McLaggen asked.

"Um…no," he answered uneasily.

"I wouldn't mind getting on a first name basis with her," he grinned. "She is something to look at, don't ya think?"

Ron turned red, clenched his fists, and stuttered unintelligibly.

"Well, of course, you two are just friends but she is _really _fit."

The last thing that Ron wanted to hear right now was Cormac McLaggen's thoughts on Hermione's body.

Fortunately, Harry announced that it was time for the Keeper tryouts before McLaggen could say anything else. However, even Ron's anger towards McLaggen couldn't mask his nerves. He felt nauseous. The crowd watching the tryouts was almost as large as the crowd for an actual match.

McLaggen was before him and he was as good as Ron had feared…so, now he was good-looking, interested in Hermione, and good at Quidditch. On the fifth and final penalty, he moved in the completely opposite direction and looked like he had been Confunded. A laughed escaped Ron and McLaggen landed on the grass looking furious.

Ron took a deep breath as he mounted his broomstick and kicked into the air. He steadied himself in front of the middle hoop.

"Good luck!" He heard a voice from the stands call.

Ron looked to his right and saw that it was Lavender Brown who had cried out to him. He once again felt that surge of confidence and in a blur, he saved all five penalties. He grinned, pleased with his performance, and heard the cheers of the people in the crowd.

He landed and joined the rest of this year's Gryffindor team (Harry, Ginny, veteran Katie Bell, and rookies Demelza Robins, Jimmy Peakes, and Ritchie Coote) as McLaggen angrily stormed off the pitch.

"You were great, Ron," Hermione congratulated.

He smiled and straightened his shoulders to stand at his full height. "Thanks Hermione."

Harry told the team the time of their first practice before everyone left and he, Harry, and Hermione headed down to Hagrid's hut.

"I really thought I was gonna miss that last one," Ron mused as they walked.

"Yes, Ronald, you were brilliant," Hermione laughed.

Ron grinned once again and didn't even care that Harry caught him. He loved Hermione paying him this kind of attention.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco sat in his favourite chair in the Slytherin Common Room and engrossed himself in his Ancient Runes homework while trying to drown out the noise and activity around him. As per usual, Theo and Daphne were cuddled up in a nearby armchair. Pansy and a few of her girlfriends were gossiping on the sofa and a group of fourth-year boys were discussing the up and coming Quidditch tryouts.

He was trying to be more visible amongst his housemates to avoid arousing suspicion but the library was looking very tempting. He was the only one in the whole bloody room who was studying!

"I think she's hot. I'd shag her in a second!"

Draco lowered his book and sneered. The boys had apparently moved on from discussing Quidditch. "Would you mind taking your conversation elsewhere?" He asked in his most authoritative voice. Slytherin House knew that he had no qualms about abusing his power as a Prefect.

The four younger boys turned to him with wide eyes and were about to scramble to their dormitory before Theo stopped them. "Who are you guys talking about?" He asked with a curious grin.

"Hermione Granger," Cole Spencer answered quietly.

Theo nodded and gave Draco a meaningful smile. "I approve of your conversation. Let them continue, Drake."

Draco rolled his eyes but did not offer a retort. The four fourth-year boys did remain in the room but they lowered their voices so as to not provoke him further.

"You shouldn't encourage them to talk about girls like that," Daphne reprimanded Theo. "It's not very nice and I wouldn't want boys sitting in another common room talking about me like that."

"Oh but they are, love," Theo tormented.

Daphne smacked his arm before softly kissing him on the lips. "You'd hex them for me though, wouldn't you?"

"In a second," he answered before they kissed again.

"Could you two try to be a little less nauseating?" Draco teased.

There had been a period of time when he had harboured romantic feelings for Daphne Greengrass…really, it was hard not to. She was indescribably beautiful, elegant, and clever. She possessed a very clear and strong sense of self that was hard not to admire and he had known her almost his entire life. His crush on her had quickly evaporated when he first saw her and Theo on the cusp of something beyond friendship. He had never seen two people who were so opposite gel together so perfectly. They complimented each other wonderfully and he was happy for them. The two of them were like the siblings that he had never had.

"But seriously," Daphne continued as she ignored Draco's comment. "They shouldn't talk about her like that. She's actually really nice."

"How would you know?" Theo asked quickly.

"Run-ins in the loo," she explained.

Draco stared at Theo, warning him not to say or do anything obnoxious. His best friend was annoying him enough about his so called "interest" in Granger. Apparently, looking at her one time in the library qualifies as being interested in dating someone these days. It was a good thing that he didn't plan on telling Theo about his odd fixation on Granger's voice. Theo might suggest marriage with that information.

"Oh my God!"

He quickly turned his head towards Pansy at the sound of her shriek.

"If I hear anybody else mention Harry Potter or Hermione Granger, I'm going to scream! Doesn't this castle have anything better to talk about," she complained.

"No, not really," Theo answered.

"Well," Pansy huffed as she flicked her dark hair over her shoulder. "I don't see the appeal. Even if you put aside the fact that she's a Mudblood, she's hideous."

Draco smirked to himself. He could hear the jealously in his girlfriend's voice. Pansy had been furious when Granger had been the center of attention at the Yule Ball and the Gryffindor had inadvertently stolen the spotlight yet again.

Theo laughed harshly and didn't comment on Pansy's remark only after receiving a sharp look from Daphne. The two girls were friends after all.

Draco snapped his book shut and got to his feet. He had had enough of this petty conversation and the last thing that he wanted to think about was Granger. He did too much of that already.

"I'm going up to bed," he told Daphne and Theo.

"'Night, mate. I'll be up a little later," Theo replied.

Pansy stood as well and grabbed his hand as he passed her. "Draco, can I talk to you?"

He merely nodded and she followed him into the sixth-year boys' dormitory. He tossed his textbook onto his trunk and sat down on his bed. Pansy sat next to him with her feet tucked underneath her. He pulled the emerald curtains around his bed closed and cast an Imperturbable Charm to give them some privacy. They had been in this situation many times on his bed but this was the first time that it felt unnatural.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" He asked.

"I think that we should break up," she stated.

His eyebrows quickly shot up to his hairline. "You do?"

She placed a hand on his knee. "Well, I don't…but it's for the best."

"Pansy, what's really going on?" He asked impatiently.

Honestly, Pansy wanting to break up with him was not even plausible. She had latched onto him since the moment that she had asked for his name on the Hogwarts Express. She showered him with attention and flattery practically every moment that they were together. In fourth year, he had finally given into their common goals and invited her to the Yule Ball. She liked him for his looks, his money, his name, and because her parents approved of him. He had finally decided to date her because she knew who he was and what was expected of him and never asked for more than that. When she wasn't smothering him with her whining, his relationship with Pansy was relatively easy and the sex wasn't half bad.

"My father thinks it's best for us to take a break," she confessed. "He says that your time will be very important to you this year and that I shouldn't distract you."

"Ah, I see."

So, Theo had been right. The change in Pansy's attitude towards him was because of her Death Eater father. He was most likely bribing her with large amounts of jewellery, clothes, and shoes in exchange for her acquiescence.

"Oh, Draco," she cooed as she reached up to run a hand through his hair.

He turned his head and hid a laugh at the fact that Pansy actually thought that he was upset over their break up. Relieved was a much more accurate description of his feelings.

"Your father is right," he said seriously. "It is for the best."

"We can be together again next year," she said hopefully.

Again, he had to stifle laughter. "Yeah," he answered vaguely.

She let out a cry of distress and flung her arms around his neck. Pansy always had been dramatic. He raised a hand from his side and awkwardly rubbed her back. He hadn't always been a prat during their relationship so the least that he could do was offer her a little comfort, even if it was half-hearted.

"I know that you're doing really important things," she whispered. "I'm so proud of you."

He fought the urge to abruptly pull away. She was proud that her boyfriend couldn't be with her because he was busy serving the Dark Lord. He had never been so disgusted with Pansy before. She was completely delusional, like so many other pure-bloods out there, and she would make another pure-blood happy someday as his snobby, submissive, trophy wife.

"I'm really tired," he muttered. "I think that I should go to bed."

She pulled away from him and wiped her teary eyes. "Of course, you need your rest. If you ever need to talk or anything, I'm here."

"Thanks."

She kissed him softly on the lips and then once on the cheek before she pulled back the curtains and left the room.

Draco waited a moment before he fell back onto his bed and finally released his laughter. He had wanted to end things with her for a while but had just never gotten around to it, but Pansy had broken up with him. Things had just fallen into place. He almost felt like sending a thank you owl to her father.

He laughed again as he got up off of his bed and found his pyjamas. He felt smug and carefree for the first time in a while, and it was a nice, familiar feeling.

**A/N: **Let's prepare for some love triangles people. Please review and give me the encouragement to finish this story! :)


	12. The Worst Birthday

**A/N: **Here's the latest chapter. Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 12 – The Worst Birthday**

Hermione awoke on the morning of September the nineteenth with a smile on her face. She was seventeen as of today. She was officially of age in the magical world. She could use all the magic that she wanted at home now and that thought absolutely thrilled her.

She sat up in her bed and Crookshanks immediately greeted her. "Good morning Crooks," she smiled as she scratched behind his ears. The ginger cat purred loudly and curled up by her pillow.

She pulled back the curtains surrounding her four-poster bed and grabbed her dressing gown off of its hook. She grinned excitedly at the pile of presents on top of her trunk at the foot of her bed. They were delivered by the house elves no doubt.

Parvati, who had always been an early riser, was already up and reading atop of her bed. "Happy birthday Hermione," she smiled.

"Thanks Parvati," she answered.

Lavender and Fay were still asleep and they were down to a room of four girls since Eloise Midgen had gone home. Hermione wasn't particularly close to any of her dorm mates. Parvati and Lavender had connected immediately as they were both very girly girls, and they were practically inseparable now. Fay and Eloise both kept to themselves and Hermione liked to focus on her studies. Besides, she had Harry and Ron, and her closest female friend was Ginny Weasley. But she had always been friendly with Parvati.

Hermione gathered her birthday presents and began to open them on her bed. Her parents knew that her seventeenth birthday was the most important milestone in the wizarding world and they had gotten her a beautiful, silver necklace with a cross pendant and a card that told her that they had a brand new car waiting for her at home. They hadn't wanted her to miss out on that important Muggle milestone.

She had also received a homemade quilt from her grandmother and a jumper from her aunt and uncle. Harry's gift was a book that she'd been dying to read and Ginny had picked her up a scarf. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had sent her a package that included hand knitted mittens and a cap, sweets, and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products. Hagrid had sweetly sent her up some cakes that were most likely not fit to eat but it was the thought that she appreciated. She was glad that their relationship with Hagrid was back to normal after their visit following Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts.

All of her presents were open and scattered across her bed and she quickly realized that there was nothing from Ron. She double checked to make sure that she hadn't missed anything and she hadn't, every present and card was opened. Ron Weasley had forgotten her birthday! She was going to kill him! He had never forgotten her birthday before and she thought that things between them were evolving this year. She had even used the Confundus Charm on Cormac McLaggen to ensure that Ron was made Gryffindor Keeper and had then confessed her underhandedness to Harry in embarrassment.

Well, she hadn't Confunded McLaggen _just_ because of Ron. She had heard him make a negative remark about Ginny and she knew that he would not have been a good person to have on the team. Her opinion of Cormac McLaggen hadn't changed much over the evening she spent with him at Professor Slughorn's supper party, either.

Her furious inner musings were interrupted by a repetitive knocking on a nearby window.

"There's an owl at your window, Hermione," Parvati told her.

She quickly jumped out of bed and opened the window next to her bedside table to stop the owl from waking up the two sleeping girls. The beautiful Snowy Owl happily hopped onto the table and stuck his leg out towards her. She recognized the creature immediately as she only knew one Snowy Owl other than Hedwig. It was Viktor's owl, Apostol. She untied the letter and the owl flew off as soon as it was free.

She sat back down on her bed as she unrolled the parchment and read the beginning of his letter, which consisted of a birthday greeting. She smiled to herself; he had always been incredibly sweet to her.

It was instances like this when Hermione felt twinges of regret for ending her romantic relationship with Viktor this past summer. Since the moment that he had first spoken to her, he had never treated her with anything but respect and consideration, but the distance between them was too great. He was a famous international Quidditch player living in Bulgaria and she was still a student in Scotland, and deeply involved in this impending war. But ultimately, she had broken up with him because she hadn't been able to deny her feelings for Ron any longer and it wasn't fair to Viktor that she felt so strongly for someone else.

She had spent two wonderful weeks with Viktor in Bulgaria directly after finishing her fifth year. She had known that upon leaving Bulgaria she would return to London to spend some time with her parents before leaving for the Burrow for the rest of the holidays. Just the thought of spending so much time with Ron had put her in such a state of giddiness that she knew that she had to end things with Viktor before leaving for home. Of course, he had been upset but he was such a wonderful _man_ that he wanted to remain friends and pen pals.

Hermione finished reading Viktor's letter before she tidied up her bed and got ready for the day.

Forty-five minutes later, she walked down the stairs and into the common room where Harry was waiting for her with a smile on his face.

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks Harry." She hugged him and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "And thank you for the book."

"No problem."

"Where's Ron?" She asked casually.

"He said he'd meet us in the Great Hall," Harry answered uncomfortably.

She just nodded. It seemed as if Harry was aware that Ron had forgotten her birthday and was hoping to avoid any conflict. Well, he needn't worry because she was not going to let Ronald Weasley ruin her seventeenth birthday!

Hermione and Harry walked down to the Great Hall and Hermione ate a quick breakfast before heading to the library to get a little work done before Ancient Runes. She deliberately left the Hall before Ron arrived.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco packed up his things after another tedious Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. They were still practicing non-verbal spells and if he wasn't aware that Snape would skin his hide if he wasn't doing as he was told, he would have slept through the class. He slung his bag over his shoulder and was following Blaise out of the classroom when Snape called out to him.

"Mr. Malfoy, may I speak to you?"

Draco nodded to Blaise. "Go on, I'll see you at lunch."

Blaise left the classroom and Draco turned back towards his godfather. "So?"

Snape shook his head. "Not here. Follow me to my office."

Draco did as he was told, without question, and followed Snape down to his dungeon office. He closed the door behind him and sat down. He and Snape hadn't spoken privately in a while, in fact, he had barely seen the older man outside of lessons. Snape must be incredibly busy with Dumbledore.

"How are things going with Potter, Draco?"

"Not too bad," he answered vaguely.

"I've noticed that the trio's non-verbal spells have improved," Snape commented.

"Yeah, I must admit," Draco began grudgingly, "that Potter is getting quite good. Granger has practically mastered casting spells non-verbally now and I think she'll be tough in a duel. She's unconventional and unpredictable, and makes brilliant use of her surroundings." He laughed to himself as he mentally replayed an incident from a few days ago when Granger had disarmed Weasley by pulling out the rug beneath his feet.

"Fascinating," Snape drawled.

Draco saw the look of curiosity and suspicion on Snape's face and he was glad when the man did not comment further. He really did not want to discuss girls, even ones that he was absolutely not interested in, with his godfather.

"And what about the Vanishing Cabinet?"

"Not so well," Draco sighed. "I haven't been able to make any headway with it."

"Hmm." Snape leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. "I will take a look at it before the week is out but I doubt that there's anything I can do. You'll just have to keep working on it. However, in the meantime, I advise you not to take any drastic measures."

"Drastic measures, sir?"

"I have it on good authority that you've inquired about purchasing a cursed necklace at Borgin & Burkes that costs one and a half thousand Galleons," he said coldly.

Draco shifted in his chair and avoided eye contact.

"Don't be so stupid, Draco," Snape spat. "You will do this subtly and without harming anyone."

"Yes, sir," he muttered. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"You were thinking like a scared, desperate boy." Snape leaned forward and said in a much softer voice, "Remember Draco, I'm here to help you."

"Yes, sir," he repeated. He felt sufficiently chastised; Snape was almost as good as his mother. "Is there anything else, sir?" He asked as he reached for his bag.

"Yes, actually, there is. Your work in my class has been consistently 'Outstanding' and Professor Vector is very impressed with you thus far. _But_ Professor McGonagall has complained of uncompleted homework and your performance has dropped in Charms and Potions."

"Well, I am busy with things that _you_ and the Headmaster want me to do," he argued fiercely.

"I know Draco, settle down," Snape responded quickly. "But your other professors are not aware of your…special…situation."

"So, what do you expect me to do?" He asked in frustration. He was fully aware that some of his studies were being neglected but in his opinion, there wasn't much more that he could do.

Snape pulled a piece of parchment out of his desk and grabbed a quill. He scribbled a quick note and provided his signature before handing the parchment to Draco. "I am assigning you a tutor."

"I don't need a tutor!" Draco bellowed. "The material is not my problem, time is!" He read through the note and his eyes widened at who Snape had assigned to him. "Granger?"

"Yes, Miss Granger makes the most sense since she has a firm grasp on all of her courses and is aware of your situation."

He really wished that Snape would stop referring to it as his "situation".

"Yeah, that's true. Fine," he sighed. He didn't complain any further and was once again glad that Snape refrained from commenting. He imagined that his godfather wouldn't understand Granger's allures.

"That is all for now, Draco. I suggest that you find Miss Granger and inform her of your new arrangement before your next class."

"Yes, sir."

He grabbed his bag and left Snape's office. He climbed the staircase that led out of the dungeons and stopped in the corridor. He peered out a window at the misty Hogwarts grounds and saw that the sun was trying to break out of the thick clouds. He grinned as a familiar head of curly, brown hair headed towards the Owlery being followed by a tall ginger.

Draco resituated his bag on his shoulder before he set off to leave the castle. He still had plenty of time left before Arithmancy and there was no time like the present to tell Granger that she would now be his tutor. He took long strides across the grounds and reached the bottom steps of the Owlery quickly.

As he climbed the steps, he heard two voices arguing.

"Ron, just stop badgering me!"

"I'm not badgering you! I'm trying to apologize!"

"I already told you that you have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes, I do!"

Draco stood in the doorway of the Owlery and watched Weasley and Granger arguing back and forth with their backs to him. Weasley was gesturing wildly with his hands but Granger was ignoring him, she was stroking Potter's Snowy Owl and tying a letter to his leg.

"You can use Pig for your other letter. You don't have to use a school owl," Weasley offered timidly after Potter's owl left through the window.

"A school owl is fine," she replied.

"Hermione," he groaned.

"Need an owl, Granger?" Draco interjected as he stepped forward.

Weasley spun around and fixed him with an angry stare that plainly said that his presence was not welcome. "Malfoy."

"Hello Weasley, lovely to see you as always," he said sarcastically.

He looked up into the rafters of the Owlery and spotted Orion. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and the owl instantly recognized his master's call. Orion swopped down and gracefully landed between him and Granger. "You can use him if you want." He watched Granger hesitantly reach forward and then abruptly pull back. "You can pet him, he's very well behaved."

"He's beautiful." She asked as she stroked his dark feathers, "What's his name?"

"Orion."

"You can just use Pig, Hermione," Weasley said annoyed.

"No, I think that I'll use Orion," she answered stubbornly. She showed the address on the letter to the owl before tying it to his leg.

"He's trained to wait for a reply," Draco told her.

"Well, isn't he just lovely," Weasley muttered sourly.

"Problem Weasley?" He asked with a grin.

Granger rolled her eyes and turned towards the redhead. "Give it a rest, Ron."

Draco pushed his hands into his pockets and surveyed the two friends with mild amusement. "_Is_ there a problem? You two seem tense. May I suggest a stress reliever? A broomstick ride, perhaps?"

"Hermione doesn't fly. She won't even get on a broom with me or Harry," Weasley responded.

"Oh. Well, why doesn't it surprise me that Granger has never taken a _ride_ on _your_ _broomstick_?" He smirked.

The sexual innuendo was not lost on Weasley and he promptly shoved Draco backwards. Weasley always did like resorting to physical violence and Draco liked to think that he, at least, was above Muggle duelling.

"Sod off, Malfoy!"

"Although I'm sure she prefers a much more _experienced flyer_," he continued.

The colour of Weasley's face matched his hair and his body was shaking with rage. Ah, so Weasley did have a little crush on Granger. He had always suspected it but he wasn't yet sure if Granger returned his feelings.

She placed a hand on Weasley's arm. "Leave it Ron," she said softly. "Thanks for letting me use your owl, Malfoy."

They began to walk out of the Owlery but he stopped them. "Actually Granger, I have to talk to you."

Weasley glared at him while Granger looked curious. "What about?" She asked.

"I have a note from Professor Snape." He pulled the piece of parchment out of his bag and handed it to her. "You are to help me with my workload from now on."

She read the note and he knew that she could not argue with a teacher's instruction. "We'll talk about this in Arithmancy."

She left the Owlery and Weasley followed behind her, after purposely bumping into Draco with his shoulder. He seemed to be quite a jealous bloke.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione reread the note from Professor Snape as she raced back towards the castle. Ron was still hot on her heels but she ignored him.

Today was really shaping up to be the worst birthday that she had ever had. First, Ron had forgotten her birthday and began grovelling as soon as he had seen her. And then just when she thought that Malfoy could be kind by lending her his owl, he goes and makes those snide remarks about her sex life that sent Ron into a near rage. And _now_ she discovers that she will be Malfoy's "tutor". Malfoy didn't need a tutor! He was actually quite bright and she had heard that his O.W.L. results were the best in Slytherin House and in the top five of their year.

"Hermione…wait…please," Ron panted.

She stopped just inside of the Entrance Hall and turned to face him with a heavy sigh. "Yes, Ronald?"

"I didn't completely forget, you know."

"Ron, its fine, it doesn't matter," she lied.

"We've all been really busy lately and it just slipped my mind so I forgot to leave out your present for the house elves," he said with a faint smile.

"You did?" She asked sceptically.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Your present is in my room, in my trunk. I got you that set of quills that you wanted…the non-staining, self-inking ones."

She knew exactly the set of quills that he was talking about. She had admired them during their trip to Diagon Alley but had ultimately decided that they were too expensive. "Ron," she sighed. "Those quills were really expensive."

"I had some savings," he shrugged with his signature small, lopsided smile.

She had never wanted to kiss him more. Yes, he could be really insensitive but most of the time he was quite sweet. His biggest problem was that he wasn't sure how to act around girls. She leaned forward and had only mustered up enough courage to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. She kissed Harry on the cheek all the time but not Ron…it was different…it meant more. "Thank you."

"Y-you're w-wel-c-come," he stuttered.

She pulled away and saw how red his face had turned. She couldn't help but let out a giggle because he looked so cute.

"Do you…maybe…um…wanna go for a walk?" He asked shyly.

"I can't, I have Arithmancy," she said regretfully.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and found his trainers very interesting. "Maybe some other time then?"

"Yeah, definitely," she smiled brightly.

Their awkward but promising moment was interrupted by the class bell.

"Oh! I gotta go!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, I should go meet Harry. I'll see you at lunch."

"Bye Ron," she grinned.

She ran up over the Entrance Hall staircase with a tremendous amount of energy and an irreversible smile on her face. Her seventeenth birthday hadn't turned out so bad after all.

**A/N:** So, Hermione had an actual relationship with Krum and she is now going to be Malfoy's tutor. Interesting twists? Also, Hermione and Ron's canon relationship will just add more drama to this story, I assure you. Leave me your thoughts! :)


	13. The Beginning

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 13 – The Beginning**

Harry stopped eating his supper to stare at the staff table. Dumbledore was once again absent. Where is he, and what is he doing? He barely saw the Headmaster nowadays and he hadn't had another private lesson. Hermione had to be right that he was leaving the school for days at a time to do things for the Order but his absence bothered Harry a great deal. The thought of uncovering more secrets about Lord Voldemort and having the prophecy finally make sense to him was comforting and while Dumbledore was gone, all of those hopeful feelings were gone as well.

After the evening meal, he followed Ron and Hermione back to the Common Room and they claimed their usual spot. Hermione immediately set to work on a Transfiguration essay using one of her new quills from Ron and the redhead opened his Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook with a satisfied smile while Harry sat and flicked through his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_.

He was constantly looking through the pages of the book to try to uncover all of its secrets and he spent so much time reading it that Ron had started teasing him by saying that he was almost as bad as Hermione. But the Prince's copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ was so much more than a book. It was proving to be fascinating and not just because of the success that Harry was still having in Potions class. It seemed as if the Prince had invented some jinxes and hexes of his own and they were wonderfully creative. Harry had already tried out a few of them on Crabbe and Goyle. The Prince's _Muffliato_ was very useful for private conversations in public places. It filled the ears of anyone nearby with a buzzing and made it impossible for them to overhear anything. Hermione, of course, disapproved of all of these spells and scolded him on calling the owner of the textbook "the Prince", as if it were his title.

Another spell that he had learned from the Prince was _Levicorpus_. One morning he had tried it out on an unsuspecting Ron and it had lifted him, by the ankle, from his bed. But Ron, who had been in such a good mood lately, had been more upset that Harry had pulled him from a pleasant dream than anything else. Harry knew that his best mate's good mood had everything to do with their mutual female friend. Ron had been staring dreamily at Hermione more than usual since they had squabbled on her birthday. Harry had been an extremely good friend and had refrained from teasing him about it but he had a feeling that things between Ron and Hermione were about to change, and soon. They rarely fought about little things anymore.

Subconsciously, Harry felt that the reason that he wasn't teasing Ron about Hermione was because he was slowly developing feelings of his own for an unlikely individual. After last year's disaster with Cho Chang, he had sworn off girls for a little while but his attraction to Ginny Weasley had smacked him in the face. They had spent so much time together over the summer that it was strange to not hang out with her as much at Hogwarts. But she had her own group of friends and even a boyfriend, Harry's friend and dorm mate Dean Thomas. And even if she didn't already have a boyfriend, she was Ron's little sister. He felt guilty for thinking about the youngest Weasley so much and he knew that Ron would be quick to harm him if he found out. He wanted to keep Ron in his happy, Hermione induced haze for as long as possible.

"Um…Hermione," Ron began in a shaky voice.

"Yeah, Ron?" She replied as she looked up from her essay.

"It's really nice outside. Do you wanna go for a walk?"

Harry's head snapped up at Ron's question. Ron had just asked Hermione to go for a _walk_…_alone_? Over the summer, Ron had purposely shied away from being alone with Hermione, whether out of nervousness or something else, Harry wasn't sure, but he had used Harry and Ginny as a buffer between them all summer. It seemed as if now he was gathering up all of his Gryffindor courage to get the girl that he had been pining for alone.

Ron's eyes shifted nervously to Harry as he waited for Hermione's response.

She finally smiled. "Yeah, I would love—"

She was interrupted by the burning that all three of them felt in their pockets.

Harry pulled his charmed coin out of his pocket and read the new message.

_ROR ASAP_

Ron grumbled, "Malfoy calls."

"It sounds urgent," Hermione commented. "I wonder what it is."

"It better be urgent," Ron muttered under his breath and Harry couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's frustration.

Harry got up out of his comfortable chair and sighed, "Let's go."

He had to admit that everything that Malfoy had told them and drilled them on so far was helpful. Harry now felt like he had intimate knowledge of Voldemort's inner circle and his non-verbal wand work was improving. Malfoy was talented and knowledgeable but he was arrogant, devoid of most real emotion, and snarky. Harry didn't trust him completely either, Unbreakable Vow or not. He had been keeping an eye out for him on the Marauder's Map and Malfoy appeared to be leaving the castle late at night but Harry had no idea what he was doing and if what he was doing was for their benefit or not. Truthfully, Malfoy was starting to remind him a lot of Snape.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco paced the Room of Requirement in a rage while he waited for the precious Gryffindor trio. He was fuming and he hoped that Weasley or Potter had some answers. He had received an owl from his mother this morning and since they wrote each other almost daily now, he assumed that there was nothing pressing about this letter. However, when he had taken the time to read it after his supper, he had read his mother's distressed words. The Ministry had raided their home, _again_, in search of Dark artefacts and his mother was very upset. She was in their large Manor all by herself with only the house elves for company and a mad older sister making unpredictable visits as she hid from Ministry officials who were itching to throw her back in Azkaban. He knew that his mother was lonely and had enough things to worry about already. The last thing that she needed was the bloody Ministry breathing down her neck!

Potter entered the room first with Weasley, Granger, and Granger's cat behind him. Draco stepped up to Weasley immediately and drew his wand at lightning speed. He was above Muggle duelling after all.

"What were your father and the Ministry doing in my home?" He bellowed.

He noticed out of the corner of his eyes that Potter and Granger had drawn their wands as well.

"Malfoy, what is this about?" Granger asked calmly as she pulled Weasley back from him by his shirt.

"It's about why Ministry officials, led by Arthur _Weasley_, raided my home _again_!" He took a deep breath and his nostrils flared dangerously before he pointed a finger at the redhead. "Tell your father to leave my mother alone!"

"I didn't know anything about the raid," Weasley argued.

"I did," Potter confessed. "I was the one who told Mr. Weasley to give your house a second look."

Draco fixed his gaze on Potter. "What do you mean?" He bit out.

Potter exchanged looks with Weasley and Granger before he answered. "I was suspicious the day we ran into you in Diagon Alley. I suspected that you had become a Death Eater and I asked Mr. Weasley to make sure they hadn't missed anything in your house."

"Well, they found nothing," he spat. He lowered his wand and turned his back on the three wary Gryffindors. He sat in the chair closest to the fireplace and pushed his hair back that was falling over his forehead. "Leave my mother alone," he said quietly. He was done fighting now; his temper was under control once again.

"Okay," Potter replied as he lowered his wand and also took a seat.

Weasley still looked angry but he sat as well and avoided looking at him.

"Is your mother alright, Malfoy?" Granger asked softly as she lowered herself into her usual chair across from him.

He was almost surprised by the compassion in her voice until he remembered that this was Granger. She had enough heart to be concerned for anyone, even a Malfoy.

"Yeah, she's fine…just on edge," he answered.

"Is there any other reason you called us here, Malfoy?" Weasley asked annoyed.

"Yes," he sneered. "Snape and I have discussed this previously but my mother tells me that while the Dark Lord is staying under the radar, he is devoting every waking moment to discovering everything about Harry Potter and everyone that he has a relationship with, he's used emotional relationships against you before, after all."

Potter looked upset but unsurprised by the news.

"Some things are proving more difficult to unearth than others. For instance, your relationship with the Weasley family is obvious and they're not exactly a hard family to track." He turned to look at Weasley, "Pure-blood family, famous blood traitors, father and brother at the Ministry, another brother at Gringotts, two flamboyant businessmen, and two children still at Hogwarts. He's gathering information but won't make a move until your family is no longer under Ministry protection," he assured at the look of panic on Weasley's face.

"What is proving difficult then?" Granger asked curiously.

He smirked, "You are Granger. The Death Eaters know virtually nothing about you except your relationship with Potter and your record at Hogwarts. They don't even know where you're from and luckily, there are a lot of Grangers in the U.K., so they haven't been able to find your family."

She looked positively stricken at the thought of Death Eaters going after her family. "They would go after my parents?" She choked.

"Absolutely," he nodded. "_But_ as one of the last resorts to get to Potter. You needn't worry at the moment."

She let out a sigh of relief and Potter reached over to her to grasp her hand. "Don't worry, Hermione. I won't let them get anywhere near your parents."

Draco laughed. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, always had to play the hero.

"For right now," he spoke upon receiving Potter's icy look, "be careful what you say, especially around the Slytherins."

"Of course," Weasley chortled without humour. "Death Eaters in training. Is that it?" He asked impatiently.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yes, Weasley, you may return to your riveting evening plans."

Weasley jumped to his feet and motioned for Granger to follow him.

"Oh wait, Granger," he interrupted them with a nasty smile. "I have Transfiguration homework."

If possible, Weasley stared at him with even more distaste than usual. Did he and Granger have plans, perhaps? Maybe, for some unknown reason, she did return the dolt's feelings.

Granger smiled at the waiting boy sadly. "I have to help him with his work. Orders from Professor Snape," she explained.

Potter looked at her pityingly and then led a grumbling Weasley out of the room. "We'll be in the Common Room, 'Mione."

Granger watched her two friends leave and then sat back down in her chair. She chewed on her bottom lip awkwardly. "I don't have any of my stuff with me."

"I have mine," he replied quickly as he pulled his bag out from behind his chair. He sent his Transfiguration textbook and a few sheaves of parchment across to her with a flick of his wand. "Those are some of the notes I made."

She started to read through his work and make comments here and there. He wished he had been paying attention to her words but the sound of her voice washed over him as his attention was directed elsewhere.

Draco would be the very first person to admit that he loved looking at women and was absolutely fascinated with their bodies. He loved the feel of their hair in his hands. He loved their soft skin and lips. He loved the delicate curve in the small of their back. He loved the way they smelled. Like every other heterosexual male, he _loved_ their breasts, hips, and arse but Draco's absolute favourite feature on a woman was her legs, and everyone in Slytherin House knew it. Nothing brought Draco Malfoy to his knees faster or turned him on more than a killer pair of legs.

So, he knew that he was in trouble when he found himself staring at Granger's legs. He had noticed Weasley staring at them earlier and Theo had made a few crude comments to him throughout the day but he hadn't taken the time to look until now.

Today had been an unusually hot day for the end of September in Scotland and Granger had foregone her uniform stockings like a lot of the other sixth and seventh-year girls did on a regular basis. Draco didn't know whether to thank her for the lovely view or curse her for being so visually appealing. Her legs were perfect. They were long and perfectly shaped, not too skinny, with nice knees. Her skin was the perfect shade between pale and golden brown, and they begged to be touched.

He had accepted at the Yule Ball that Granger was a lot easier on the eyes than he had initially acknowledged and he had been noticing her attractiveness over the past month but he had never had even the slightest fantasy about her…until now. While she spoke, he was imaging every possible sexual position that would have those incredible legs wrapped around his waist…or his shoulders…or…

"Right, Malfoy?"

"What?" He asked stupidly. He hadn't been bloody paying attention, which he thought was obvious.

"Are you even listening to me?"

He just nodded. Screw Transfiguration, he wanted to concentrate on his rapidly forming fantasies. He wanted to slip out of his chair, crawl over to Granger, and run his tongue from her ankle all the way up until his head was under her skirt. He took a deep breath; he needed to stop fantasizing about Granger. He especially needed to stop fantasizing about kneeling before Granger! Maybe he needed to start thinking more like Theo because she had the sexiest legs he had ever seen…Mudblood or not.

"Malfoy!"

Granger had just yelled his name. He rather liked that.

"Yes, Granger?" He asked with a false smile.

"Do you have somewhere else to be? Because I certainly have better things to do if you're not even going to pay attention to a word I'm saying!"

He sneered. "You're so uptight, Granger. Take your wand out of your arse."

He was now staring at Granger's large, ginger cat. The beast followed her everywhere and had become a fixture at their meetings. The cat was brushing up against her bare legs. Merlin, he wanted to be that cat. He was officially pathetic and it had been too long since the last time he had had sex.

"I'm trying to help you," she said angrily.

He took a deep breath and pulled his thoughts out of the gutter. "I don't need your help…I-I just have too much on my plate…"

Her face softened and she exhaled loudly. "I know, and I'm actually impressed with how well you've kept up with your studies so far. But if you don't need my help then why am I here?"

He closed his eyes and rubbed them with the heels of his palms. He had a headache again and an uneasy feeling in his stomach. "I just feel comfortable talking to you," he murmured.

Her pretty brown eyes widened in shock. "Malfoy that—"

He cut her off, "I know that it doesn't make any sense Granger! Believe me, I'm more than aware of what I want to think of you but I find your voice to be rather soothing…and you're not completely grotesque to look at, either."

Well, that was certainly an understatement. He was becoming more and more aware of Hermione Granger's sex appeal.

She closed his Transfiguration textbook and placed it unceremoniously on the floor. She crossed those divine legs of hers and leaned back in her chair. "Malfoy," she said with a small laugh. "It sounds like you're asking me to be your therapist."

"My what?" He replied in confusion.

"Oh…um," she struggled with her words and chewed on her bottom lip. "It's a Muggle doctor who…oh never mind! What are you saying, Malfoy?"

"I'm saying that I like talking to you; can we leave it at that?" He asked hopefully. He didn't want to explain things any further, at least not right now.

"Yeah," she answered quietly. "I guess."

"We should be getting back to our common rooms," he said after a meaningful silence.

She nodded in agreement and stood. Her cat continued to brush against her legs before turning to hiss loudly at him. "Crookshanks," she scolded. "Don't hiss at people."

"Lovely cat," he told her sarcastically.

"He's very selective. He's wary of everyone around me and is very good at spotting distrustfulness."

Draco eyed her cat…Crookshanks, she called him. So, he was protective of Granger. He already had to deal with Potter and Weasley as her two bodyguards and now her cat had it in for him too.

He put his books and parchment back in his bag. "I can finish this on my own."

"Okay, just let me know if you need anything," she said kindly.

He smirked as he compared her offer of assistance to the same one that Pansy had given him. The difference between the two girls was astounding.

"Okay, Granger. You can leave first."

She left with a small, timid wave and he returned it.

**A/N:** If you are taking the time to read this then please leave a review! It will do wonders for my self-esteem. Lol.


	14. The Boy with Two Faces

**A/N: **A big thank you to the people who have left reviews! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 14 - The Boy with Two Faces**

Hermione took her time tiding up her Potions station as she reflected on the class. She couldn't have followed the instructions in _Advanced Potion-Making_ any closer but Harry's notes from "the Prince" were still outperforming her. She wasn't used to being second best and she didn't like the effect that it was having on her. But it wasn't envy that had her distrusting the Half-Blood Prince. He didn't seem like a very nice person and some of those jinxes that he had made up were just cruel. _Levicorpus_ reminded her far too much of a Death Eater's idea of fun. Despite the fact that her and Harry had already argued about his declaration of his blood status, she wouldn't rule out the Prince having been a Death Eater. All of Voldemort's Death Eaters couldn't be pure-blood, there weren't that many pure-blood families left. She quickly had a thought to ask Malfoy about it later.

Finally, she put away all of her supplies and grabbed her bag. Harry and Ron had left ahead of her and she had only just realized that she was alone in the dungeon room. She left the classroom and jumped at the voice behind her.

"Hey Hermione!"

She spun around to face the excited sixth-year Ravenclaw Terry Boot. He was leaning against the wall by the door of the classroom and it appeared that he had been waiting for her.

"Hi Terry. How are you?" She asked with a smile. She was definitely on friendly terms with the boy but they talked less now that Dumbledore's Army was disbanded. Mostly, they talked about their classwork.

"Good," he grinned. "Yourself?"

"I'm fine, lots of work, you know."

"Yeah, I do," he laughed. He shifted his feet and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. "So, this weekend is the first Hogsmeade weekend and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go with me?"

She was shocked and was sure that her face showed it. Terry Boot was asking her out on a date. Why were boys that were not Ron Weasley showing an interest in her this year? First, Cormac McLaggen at Professor Slughorn's dinner parties and now Terry was asking her to Hogsmeade. Well, at least Terry was nice and polite, Cormac was rude and pompous. But she was not interested in dating the nice Ravenclaw, her feelings lay elsewhere.

She blurted out the first excuse that came to her mind because she didn't want to hurt him. "I'm sorry but I have to tutor someone Saturday afternoon. When it was scheduled I didn't realize that it was a Hogsmeade weekend," she lied.

"Oh," he frowned. "Well, that sucks."

She nodded. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," he smiled brightly. "The next Hogsmeade weekend then?"

"Sure," she replied quickly.

"Great! See you later Hermione," he said before walking off in the opposite direction that she was headed.

"Bye Terry," she answered trying to sound cheery.

Why did she agree to a date in the future? And why hadn't Ron asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him? English boys were so confusing and hard to deal with. Viktor had always been very honest and open about his intentions and she had never needed to analyze his every word because he told her exactly what was on his mind. Ron wasn't like that at all and she sighed as she realized that she now had to go and talk to another confusing, English boy.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco looked up at his best friend as he was hit in the head with another ball of parchment. He dropped his quill. "What do you want?" He asked irritated. "Can't you see that I'm trying to work?" He gestured to the books spread out before him on their table at the back of the library.

"I just wanna know why you never told me that you dumped Pansy. I know that we don't get much of a chance to talk anymore," he added sadly, "but that is big news."

"I didn't _dump _Pansy. She broke up with me," Draco replied.

"Really?" Theo asked in surprise.

"Yup," he replied disinterestedly. "It was what you thought…Her father."

"Relieved?" Theo asked with a mischievous grin.

Draco couldn't suppress his chuckle. "Yes, and I didn't even have to do any of the dirty work."

Their quiet laughing was interrupted by a breathless Granger appearing at his side. "Malfoy," she panted as she pushed her unruly hair out of her face. "I am tutoring you Saturday afternoon."

"You are?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, you are?" Theo repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I am," she said with determination.

"Why?" He asked curiously. It seemed odd and very out of character that she would schedule a study session for the two of them, and especially on the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year. Fortunately for her, he hadn't planned on going anyway. "Won't you be joining Potter and Weasley in Hogsmeade?"

She shook her head. "No, I found myself in a rather tight spot and used you as an excuse. Please," she whispered.

He grinned devilishly. "Are you begging, Granger?"

"I would _never_ beg you for _anything_, Malfoy," she retorted.

He heard Theo chuckle but he was too focused on keeping eye contact with Granger to care. "You might regret saying that one day but I'll play along. You may tutor me Saturday afternoon. I'll meet you here."

"Great," she nodded. "I will see you then."

As soon as Granger left, Theo bombarded him with questions. "Why do you two seem to be on speaking terms? And since when are you getting _tutored_? And if you are spending private, tutor time with Granger than why haven't you shagged her yet?"

"I'm not getting tutored, we have work sessions together. It was Snape's idea because Granger and I have the same class schedule. We're no more on speaking terms now than we were before," he lied.

"I don't believe you," Theo stated bluntly.

"Well," Draco shrugged, "it's the truth."

Theo pointed his quill accusingly at Draco and shook his head. "No, you're too much of a Slytherin to be telling the truth but I'll forgive you if you tell me all about Granger's bedroom repertoire."

"You are such a prat," Draco laughed. "I have no idea why Daphne picked you over me."

"Because I'm cuter," he grinned. "And a lot less serious."

"Yeah, you're a gem," he told his friend sarcastically. "Now, let me get back to work!"

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Ron and Harry walked into Hogsmeade with the bitter, cold wind in their faces. It was far too cold for the middle of October as the two boys were dressed in their winter's jackets, hats, mittens, and scarves. They stopped into Honeydukes after sadly noting that Zonko's Joke Shop was closed. Hogsmeade was also suffering in these dark times.

"How come Hermione isn't here again?" Harry asked as they looked at a new product display.

"She's tutoring Malfoy," Ron answered grumpily. "I don't know why, the git doesn't need tutoring."

He had been looking forward to the first Hogsmeade weekend with Harry and Hermione but Malfoy had to ruin that with his special note from Snape.

"I still don't know if I trust him, Harry," he added.

"Yeah, me either," Harry confessed quietly.

"He's a slimy git no matter how much he's helping us," he finished with a definitive nod.

Ron looked at the display of new extra-large Sugar Quills disappointedly. For a moment he wished that he hadn't spent so much money on Hermione's birthday present so that he could pick up a few sweets but then he remembered how much she loved her birthday present and he was content once more. His attempts at being alone with Hermione had failed thus far but his hopes were still high.

"Harry, m'boy!" A pleasant, male voice boomed from behind them.

The two boys turned around and plastered awkward smiles on their faces to greet Professor Slughorn.

"Oh no," Harry spoke out of the corner of his mouth.

Slughorn was wearing a ridiculous fur coat and matching hat. His plump stomach seemed to be protruding more than usual and he was holding a large bag of crystallised pineapple. The Potions master fawned over Harry, and Ron tried not to appear annoyed.

"Harry, that's three of my little suppers you've missed now! It won't do, m'boy, I'm determined to have you! Miss Granger loves them! Where is the lovely Miss Granger?"

Harry didn't even have a chance to answer the question before Slughorn spoke again.

"So, why don't you come along?"

"Well, sir, I've had Quidditch practice."

Ron couldn't help but grin to himself. The truth was that Harry had been deliberately scheduling Quidditch practices to clash with Slughorn's dinner parties. He, Harry, and Ginny usually had a good laugh thinking of Hermione being stuck in a room with McLaggen and Zabini since she was too polite to turn down Slughorn's invitation.

Slughorn didn't even notice his presence as he continued to good-humouredly berate Harry before he left with a wave.

"You can't evade me forever, Harry!"

Ron pursed his lips and refrained from saying anything. He was used to being ignored and overshadowed because not only was he best friends with the Boy Who Lived and the brightest witch of the age, he was also a Weasley. Bill was a former Head Boy with a great job and one of the most beautiful women that Ron had ever seen was now his fiancé. Charlie was the Seeker who had been good enough to play for England. Percy was another Head Boy who had never stepped one foot out of line while he was at Hogwarts. Fred and George were the popular jokesters who were loved by everyone and now they were successful businessmen. And he was just Ron, an average student and an average Quidditch player with a penchant for getting into life-threatening trouble.

He was used to be ignored and overshadowed but that didn't make him feel any better.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks," Harry suggested. "It'll be warm there."

They made sure that their scarves were covering their faces before they left Honeydukes and ran to the Three Broomsticks. The street was practically empty because of the bad weather so they didn't need to worry about bumping into anyone.

They sat down at a table and ordered two Butterbeers. The warm atmosphere and delicious beverage did nothing to improve Ron's mood as he spotted Ginny snogging Dean Thomas in a corner of the pub. Seeing one of his closest mates running his hands over his little sister was not a sight that he wanted to witness. He also noticed that the display made Harry rather uncomfortable too.

"Let's head back to school," Harry said as soon as they finished their drinks.

"Yeah," he groaned.

The weather outside was still terribly cold and windy and their trip to Hogsmeade had been the worst that Ron had ever had. It was time to return to Hogwarts and the warm fire in the Gryffindor Common Room.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

"Malfoy," Hermione began tentatively as she watched him put the finishing touches on his Ancient Runes essay.

They had been working since most of the students, third year and up, had left for Hogsmeade and the library was empty except for the two of them and Madam Pince. She couldn't contain her curiosity any longer and she had to ask the question that was on her mind.

"Yeah Granger?" He asked as he continued to write.

"Do you know anyone nicknamed the 'Half-Blood Prince'?"

He laid his quill down on the table and looked at her as he thought about her question. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

She brushed him off, "No reason. Are all Death Eaters pure-bloods?"

"What's with all the questions, Granger?" He inquired suspiciously.

"Would you believe it's simply a thirst for knowledge?" She smiled.

He chuckled, "Not for a second." He began to scratch his chin with the feather of his quill. "But I don't really care so, yeah all Death Eaters are pure-bloods…or at least as far as we know. Some families, like mine, have a pure-blood lineage that is undisputable but I suppose it is possible for there to be half-bloods doing a really good job pretending to be pure, that _is_ what you're thinking isn't it, Granger?"

"Yeah, it is," she admitted in astonishment. There was no doubt that Malfoy was very good at reading people.

She asked no further questions and simply watched him finish his essay. He dotted his last period and left the parchment alone to dry.

"Done," he declared. He watched her glance at her watch and frown. "No one will be back from Hogsmeade for at least another hour."

"I know," she sighed.

"Why didn't you go? Why did you insist on this little study session?"

"Someone asked me out," she confessed. "And instead of telling him that I'm not interested I made up an excuse and you were the first thing that popped into my head."

"Well, I'm flattered," he grinned.

"Shut up Malfoy."

God, he could be so annoying but he was surprisingly civil and he had yet to make one remark about her blood status. At least, he was starting to appear like more of a human being and she really did owe him for agreeing to her scheme at the last minute, and in front of one of his Slytherin friends no less.

He laughed. "Who asked you out? Weasley?"

She shook her head and felt her face flush hot. "No," she murmured. "It was Terry Boot."

"Oh yeah, he's had a thing for you since last year," he told her confidently.

"No way," she squeaked. "Really?"

"Stop blushing like a school girl, Granger," he teased.

"I am a school girl!" She argued.

"Yeah, but you're so far above all the other girls at this school."

She furrowed her brow and looked at him in confusion but he quickly turned away from her and busied himself with packing his bag. He carefully rolled up his parchment and stowed it away. He stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder but she grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving.

"Malfoy wait."

He stared at her small hand on his right forearm before he narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Don't touch me with your filthy hands."

He roughly wrenched his arm out of her grasp and walked out of the library without a backwards glance.

She winced at his tone and immediately scolded herself for thinking that Malfoy actually had a good side. She had started to believe the act that he was putting on for them and she hated herself for that. He was still _Malfoy_ and he hadn't changed. He was not a nice guy like Harry and Ron.

He was still the spoiled brat who had spent his first year trying to catch her, Harry, and Ron out after curfew.

He was still the vile boy who had introduced her to the word Mudblood.

He was still the one who had teased Harry mercilessly about the Dementors in their third year.

He was still the thirteen-year-old who had relished the thought of getting Hagrid fired and Buckbeak executed.

He was still the jealous teen who had acted as Rita Skeeter's source.

He was still the writer of Slytherin's version of _Weasley is Our King_.

He was still the teenager who had scrambled to join Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad for extra credit.

And he was still the one who wished she had been terrorized by Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup.

"_D'you want to be showing off your knickers in mid-air? Because if you do, hang around…they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh…If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."_

That last comment in particular still bothered her and she often wondered if he was right…if Death Eaters knew that she was Muggle-born just by looking at her.

He was still terrible but if he could help the Order in this war and help Harry defeat Voldemort then that would be a great contribution but she would not open herself up to him. He was too dangerous and she was too willing to see the good in people.

**A/N:** Malfoy is one complicated guy. Lol. Tell me what you think about the changing character perspectives, it's the first time I've really played with it this heavily.


	15. Crookshanks

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 15 – Crookshanks**

Draco lay awake in his four-poster bed in the sixth-year boys' dormitory staring at the emerald canopy above him. He was lying on his back with his hands resting behind his head and he felt like he had been in the same position for hours. He had his curtains pulled shut and an Imperturbable Charm in place for privacy.

Sleep came seldom to him these days but tonight was even worse.

Unsurprisingly, he was thinking about Granger and how he had snapped at her. He knew that he had done it to distance himself from her and reaffirm that he absolutely should not, under any circumstances, want her. No matter how sexy, or brilliant, or feisty…or kind…she was.

He hadn't been lying when he told her that she was above all of the other girls at Hogwarts. In fact, she was above anybody that he had ever met and he barely knew anything about her…and what scared him was that he wanted to know more…he wanted to know everything because she was everything that he was supposed to despise. Everything that he wasn't supposed to have. She was untouchable to a Slytherin like him but he loved a challenge. They couldn't be more different and he loved that. He secretly loved a woman who isn't afraid to stand up to him. The submissive, doting pure-blood house wife ideal did absolutely nothing for him.

He groaned as he shifted in his bed because of the uncomfortable tightness in his boxers. He wanted Granger, and badly.

He felt the weight at the bottom of his bed shift and he didn't need to light his wand to reveal what it was. Granger's bloody cat had followed him around the castle all evening. Thankfully, the feline had stopped hissing at him.

"How did you get in here?" He asked aloud in frustration.

Of course, it was a cat so he wasn't actually expecting an answer.

Draco opened his eyes to meet the penetrating yellow gaze of Crookshanks. The cat was sitting on the end of his bed by his feet and was slowly swishing his tail back and forth.

"Shouldn't you be with Granger? Not in the Slytherin dungeons. And stop following me around the castle!"

Crookshanks continued to stare at him, swishing his bushy ginger tail.

"Fine! You can stay here, just don't try to sleep near my face," he warned before he turned over onto his side and buried his face in his pillow.

He shut his eyes and tried to force himself to fall asleep. He had started talking to Granger's cat. If the Dark Lord didn't kill him then Granger and her bloody cat would drive him mad.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Theo walked into the sixth-year boys' dormitory and carelessly tossed his schoolbag on his bed. He was sick of doing homework and he needed a break from the library. He noticed that Draco, who looked to have recently returned from Quidditch practice, was sitting on his bed in a white long-sleeved shirt and black pyjama trousers reading a book. He appeared to be reading a novel and not a textbook. Sometimes, Draco's idea of a leisure activity made him laugh. His best friend may love Quidditch, drinking, and Wizard's Chess but he spent a lot of time reading and writing in his journals.

"How was Quidditch practice, mate?" He asked as he sat on his own bed.

"It was fine."

"Are we going to trounce Gryffindor?" He inquired excitedly. The first, and most anticipated, match of the season was quickly approaching.

Draco smirked, "If Weasley plays as bad as he did last year."

Theo laughed and settled himself into a lying position on his bed. He looked down towards the foot of Draco's bed and laughed out loud. A large, ginger cat with a squashed face was sitting by Draco's feet, staring at him.

"What's with the cat?"

Draco continued to stare at the pages of his book. "I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled petulantly.

"Who does it belong to?" Theo persisted.

"None of your business," Draco answered sharply.

Theo reached forward to pet the beast but it quickly turned its head, arched its back, and loudly hissed at him. "Whoa," he chuckled. "Nice friend you got there, Drake."

"He's selective about his company…or so I'm told."

"Told by whom?" Theo asked suspiciously. Slytherins were suspicious and nosey by nature and he could have sworn that he recognized that cat, and it didn't belong to anyone in their house.

Draco snapped his book closed and threw it on his bedside table. "The bloody thing won't leave me alone," he complained as he gestured towards the animal. "He even followed me down to the Quidditch Pitch."

Theo watched with an amused grin as the cat raised himself onto his four legs and walked up the bed to settle by Draco's side.

"Leave me alone. I don't like you," Draco said unconvincingly as he scratched the cat's head.

"You're turning into such a Hufflepuff," Theo teased.

"I am not!" He replied resentfully.

"You're not what, Draco?" Blaise asked as he strolled into the room in a well pressed, and no doubt expensive, black trousers and white oxford.

"None of your business, Blaise. How was Slughorn's latest party?" Draco asked.

The tall, dark skinned boy shrugged as he walked towards his bed. "Same as usual, decent enough food and stories about some of his old students. Gwenog Jones was there tonight."

Theo was impressed; a professional Quidditch player was at one of Slughorn's dinner parties. "Really?"

Blaise nodded and didn't seem half as impressed but Theo wasn't surprised. Blaise was the wealthiest student at Hogwarts and he had met enough celebrities through his mother. Blaise was very jaded from living the lifestyle of a wealthy, proud pure-blood for so long.

"Slughorn pays far too much attention to that Gryffindor idiot McLaggen. He loves McLaggen's stories about hunting with the Minister for Magic." Blaise rolled his eyes. "And if that isn't enough, Slughorn was absolutely fascinated by Granger's parents' lives in the _Muggle _world."

Theo noticed out of the corner of his eye that both Draco and the mysterious cat tensed at Blaise's words. He grinned broadly. So, that's why that cat looked so familiar, it belongs to Granger!

"What do her parents do?" Theo asked casually.

"Something to do with people's teeth," Blaise sneered. "I'd be embarrassed."

"I don't care what her parents do; I still think that she'd be a firecracker in bed," he said with a glance at Draco.

"Theodore Nott," Blaise laughed, "you have no standards."

"And your problem, Blaise Zabini, is that your standards are too high," Theo replied. "Apparently, none of the girls at this school are good enough for you."

"Your girlfriend is," Blaise tormented.

"Fuck off!"

Draco laughed as he continued to scratch the cat's head. "I don't want you two duelling across the dorm again so shut up."

Theo turned to Draco with an evil twinkle in his eye. "Right, we'll leave you to spend time with your new friend. Wizard's Chess, Blaise?"

"Sure," he answered.

Blaise left the dormitory first and as Theo slowly backed out of the room, he winked at Draco. "Maybe you should return the cat to its owner."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

"You can find your way back to Gryffindor Tower on your own," Draco told Crookshanks when he was once again alone in the room.

He tried to return to reading his book but the cat's stare made him really uneasy. "Seriously, go away…Shoo."

But Crookshanks remained fixed to his spot by Draco's abdomen.

"I'm not thinking about _her_," he lied. He was almost always thinking about Granger nowadays. "So, you can just leave."

He groaned loudly in frustration and tossed his book aside, for the second time that night, as Crookshanks began to gently paw his side. There was something seriously wrong with Granger's cat.

Draco jumped off of his bed and angrily stared down at the ginger animal. "Come on, I'm taking you back to Granger!"

He grabbed his cloak and put it on before he left the sixth-year boy's dormitory with Crookshanks hot on his heels. At least the cat had listened to one thing he said.

When he finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor, he looked back and forth in annoyance. What was he supposed to do now? The Fat Lady would never let him into Gryffindor Tower and there was no one in sight who knew the password.

"You are not in my house," she told him indignantly.

"I know that!" He exclaimed in annoyance. "I just need to talk to someone."

"Not without a password!"

He continued to argue with the Fat Lady until he heard a voice behind him.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?"

"Potter." He had never been so happy to see Scarhead. "I need to talk to Granger."

Potter eyed him suspiciously but didn't argue. "Okay, I'll let her know that you're out here." He whispered the password to the Fat Lady and hopped inside the created opening.

After a few minutes, Granger came out of the portrait looking irritated with her arms crossed over her chest. "What do you want Malfoy?"

He pointed to the feline hanging around his feet and yelled, "Tell your cat to leave me alone!"

"What?" She asked confused.

"Your cat!"

Granger bent down and picked Crookshanks up into her arms. "Crooks," she cooed. "What have you been doing?"

"He's been sleeping on my bed and following me around the castle, that's what he's been doing!"

"Really?" She asked shocked.

He nodded, "And I am not a cat person." Actually, he had kind of started to warm up to the large fur ball.

"Well, thanks for bringing him back," she said uncomfortably.

"You're welcome," he replied quietly.

She started to turn to head back into the Gryffindor Common Room but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Be careful, you might get your hands dirty," she snapped.

He grimaced at her reference to his insult. "Okay, I deserved that."

"You deserve a lot more than that," she told him fiercely.

"Listen Granger," he began awkwardly. He wasn't used to apologizing to people so it was taking him longer than usual to gather his thoughts. "I don't think that you're filthy and I'm sorry for saying…what I said…the other day."

Granger's mouth dropped open in surprise. "You're apologizing?"

"Yeah, I guess, and it's not something that I do a lot."

"Yeah, I imagine that Malfoys don't apologize for their actions," she said harshly.

He chuckled, "You are absolutely right." He ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat. He had never been this uncomfortable around a member of the opposite sex but the pull he felt towards her was extraordinary. "I would like to talk to you later, would you be willing to meet me?"

She paused for a long moment before she answered. "When and where?" She asked with a reluctant sigh.

"Ten-thirty. The top of the Astronomy Tower."

"Fine," she nodded.

"Bye Crookshanks," Draco said with a small smile before he turned and left.

As he walked back to the dungeons, he was smiling and feeling very carefree, and he had just said goodbye to a cat. Theo was right; he was turning into a Hufflepuff.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione was absolutely baffled by the fact that she had so easily agreed to meet Malfoy. She couldn't even provide herself with a logical reason as to why she had accepted his apology and plea to talk to her tonight. Her words had just spilled out of her mouth without thought, even after she had lectured herself about Malfoy's true nature and how she would not allow herself to feel sorry for him. However, there was an odd connection between them that she could not describe, but it was there and she could feel it like an electric current. And apparently so could Crookshanks. She had never seen her cat take to someone like that, not even Harry, Ron, or Ginny. The thing that troubled her most was that it was proven by the Scabbers incident that her part-Kneazle pet could sense who could not be trusted and he felt that Malfoy was worthy enough to be a sleeping companion. She knew that Harry and Ron still did not trust him, despite the Unbreakable Vow, but she was coming around and she couldn't explain why.

She snuck out of the Gryffindor Common Room after Harry and Ron had decided to go up to bed at ten-forty. She had cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself but was still very on edge about sneaking around the castle past curfew, especially with this year's extra security measures. She was a Prefect, she was supposed to uphold Hogwarts rules, not break them. Thankfully, she did not meet any staff members on her way to the Astronomy Tower.

She slowly climbed the steps of the Astronomy Tower and when she reached the very top she saw that Malfoy was waiting for her with his back turned and his two hands in the pockets of his trousers.

"I was beginning to think that you weren't going to come," he said quietly.

"I waited for Harry and Ron to go to bed," she replied. "Why am I here?"

He turned around to face her and his expression wasn't overly friendly but it was not his usual sneer. "I told you that I wanted to talk to you." He looked down towards her feet and grinned. "You brought your cat?"

She shook her head. "He followed me."

She watched as Malfoy slowly lowered himself to sit on the floor and Crookshanks trotted over to sit beside him.

"Did you tell him to keep an eye on me?" He asked curiously.

She shook her head again. "No, he just seems to like you…for some reason." She sat down across from him, with a reasonable distance between them. "So," she began uncomfortably. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything. Everything."

She was confused. She had assumed that he had wanted to talk about schoolwork, or Lord Voldemort or Death Eaters…not have idle conversation with her. Malfoy was not acting like the boy that she had known for the past five years. He seemed tired, lonely, and in need of someone to talk to that knew of his true allegiance in this war.

"Where did you grow up?" He asked suddenly.

"What? You want to talk about me?" She questioned sceptically.

He nodded. "I don't know anything about you."

"Yeah, and there's a reason for that!" She told him incredulously. "You've never wanted to know anything about me!"

"I know that but you said before that I could let you know if I ever needed anything."

"Well, I didn't know you'd take my words so seriously," she muttered.

He laughed, "And I really don't like the idea of buddying up to Potter or Weasley. So, right now what I need is someone to talk to who knows what I'm doing but can take my mind off of it, and I know that you're capable of having an intelligent conversation."

"Okay," she sighed. "But if we're going to get to know each other…or whatever it is that you want…than we need to get something out of the way. Why did you apologize for calling me filthy?"

His apology had been heavily weighing on her mind. Malfoy had said far worse things to her over the years and had never apologized for anything. They were supposed to be civil towards each other now that they were working together but she hadn't really expected him to uphold that agreement.

"What do you want me to say Granger?" He asked with a loud sigh. "That I've seen the error of my ways all of these years and accept that all wizards and witches are equal, regardless of bloodline. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Yes," she answered honestly.

He gave her a small, sad smile. "I wish it was that simple but I was raised to value blood purity, wealth, and magical heritage. I was told that Muggle-borns pollute the culture of the wizarding world and I agree. It's not easy to renounce what I've believed in my whole life because I realized that I did not want to be a loyal Death Eater. You're just different Granger, you've shown over and over again that you can outsmart and outwork anyone out there, and that's why I apologized."

She was still so confused. "But how am I any different now than I was last year?"

"I think it's because I find myself in a situation where I have to see you differently. Your blood is the last thing that I think about. You're the exception to the rule I guess," he shrugged.

She laughed to herself because only Malfoy could make her feel flattered and insulted simultaneously. But he seemed changed, and if nothing else, he was regarding her differently and she hoped that he was not playing her for a fool.

"Okay, I grew up in London," she offered. "You?"

"I grew up in Wiltshire."

He smiled, truly smiled, and Hermione was unprepared for how disarming and contagious it was. He had a beautiful smile.

**A/N:** I am very proud of this chapter so please leave a review! :)


	16. Hermione's Secrets

**A/N: **A big thank you to those of you who have left reviews! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 16 – Hermione's Secrets**

The next day, during a free period, Potter used their enchanted Galleons to gather the four of them in the Room of Requirement to regal them with the specifics of his second private lesson with Dumbledore. Despite how fascinating the memory of the young Dark Lord was, Draco couldn't focus on anything except the brunette sitting across from him.

He had found her intriguing before but they had talked for hours last night and he had learned so much about her and her world. He had known before that Hermione Granger was a brilliant witch, who loves books, is afraid of flying, and cares entirely too much about the wellbeing of magical creatures. He hadn't imagined that he would find her even more fascinating by the night's end.

Her parents were special Muggle healers called dentists, a profession that was apparently quite respected in the Muggle world. They lived in London and owned their own practice. Her father's name is Roger and her mother's name is Corrine. Her mother was born and raised in France and as a result Granger had spent many holidays there and was fluent in French. Her parents were proud of her and not at all scared by her magic but they did not know how deeply involved she was in this war. They were a little strict and had engrained in her the importance of being studious and academically focused.

She had studied ballet as a young girl and knew how to play the piano. She loved to paint but only got the opportunity to do so over the holidays. Most of her favourite books were by Muggle authors and even though she was now of age she still wanted to do some things, like cooking, the Muggle way because it calmed her.

Her favourite colour is blue, her favourite subject after Arithmancy is Charms, she doesn't like to drink alcohol, and she is not particularly fond of Quidditch or Wizard's Chess. She prefers her Muggle clothing to wizard robes. Draco would be the last person to complain because she looked incredible in a pair of Muggle jeans.

Beautiful, talented, and extraordinary summed up Hermione Granger, and he wanted her even more than he did before.

They were keeping their conversation, and any future ones, to themselves. He didn't want Potter and Weasley to know that he was spending time alone with their princess.

"Wow, scary thought, the boy You-Know-Who."

Weasley's comment about Potter's story brought Draco back to the present.

"But I still don't get why Dumbledore's showing you all this. I mean, it's really interesting and everything, but what's the point?" Weasley spoke again.

"Dunno," Potter answered, "but he says it's all important and it'll help me survive."

"I think it's fascinating," Granger commented. "It makes absolute sense to know as much about Voldemort as possible. How else will you find out his weaknesses?"

"Granger is right," he chimed in. "It's part of why Dumbledore wants me to tell you everything that I know."

Granger was right that the information in these memories could prove to be important. There was a method to the Dark Lord's madness. So many things already made much more sense to Draco. The Dark Lord had followers and servants, some Death Eaters claimed that they were his confidants but they were mistaken, and he had had no desire to make friends even as a child growing up in an orphanage. He preferred to act alone and was very controlling. He had somewhat mastered his magic before he even knew that he was a wizard and was already using it to hurt others. He shed his real name because he hated how common it was. He did not want to be ordinary, he wanted to be _special_. He had collected trophies from his childhood victims, a fact that Draco found particularly interesting because he knew that the Dark Lord kept some of his possessions safely hidden. He remembered the Dark Lord's dairy that had been passed to his father and his mother mentioning that the Dark Lord had things in Aunt Bella's Gringotts vault.

"Chances are that Borgin & Burkes no longer have that locket but I can look into it," Draco offered.

"You can?" Potter asked surprised.

He nodded. "I'll owl Mother, she'll be discreet, don't worry."

He scratched his chin thoughtfully. Had his mother ever mentioned what was in the Lestrange's vault?

"What are you thinking about?" Granger asked after a moment of silence.

"His trophies," he mumbled.

"Dumbledore said that they will be important later," Potter piped in excitedly.

"We're going to be late for Transfiguration," Weasley interrupted.

Draco looked at his watch. "So we are." He turned to Potter. "I'll let you know if I come up with anything."

Potter nodded in thanks and he and Weasley headed out of the room.

Granger lingered and pulled a large book out of her bag. "This is one of the authors I was telling you about," she smiled. "Charles Dickens."

He smiled back at her and accepted the book. She had remembered that he had shown an interest in reading some of her Muggle novels and she looked as happy as he felt. Her smile was wide and her brown eyes were bright. Maybe she had enjoyed their time together as much as he had. Maybe he was the reason why she was happy.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

As Hermione raced out of the Room of Requirement to catch up with Harry and Ron on their way to Transfiguration class, she still couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. She was over the moon with happiness because it was _finally_ happening. She and Ron were finally going to happen.

During first period Herbology this morning, she had asked him to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party. She had decided the night before that she wasn't going to wait for Ron to make the first move any longer and that this Christmas party was the perfect opportunity for them to go on a date. It hadn't been easy as he had cruelly made fun of the Potions master, referring to their dinner parties as the "Slug Club", and had then proceeded to tell her that she should try to _get off_ with McLaggen. Ron had seemed surprised yet pleased when she angrily responded that she had planned on inviting him.

It had been clumsy and rooted in an argument but they were going to the Christmas party together…as more than friends…and that's all that mattered.

When she reached the Transfiguration classroom, she sat down in the empty seat next to Ron. They weren't as late for class as she had feared; Professor McGonagall wasn't even here yet.

"Where did you go?" Ron asked. "I thought that you were right behind us."

"Malfoy had to ask me a question about our Arithmancy homework," she lied. She didn't know how Ron would take her new, budding friendship with the Slytherin and she wasn't about to risk what was developing between them by making him angry and jealous.

"Oh, okay," he replied timidly before he brightened. "I have new dress robes!"

"What?" She asked with a laugh.

"Fred and George bought me new dress robes, remember? I can wear them to Slughorn's party."

"Perfect," she smiled.

He seemed just as excited as her for their _date_.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Over the next few days, her excitement over attending the Christmas party with Ron did not dwindle for a second. He was busy with Quidditch practice and homework but he was being more polite and talkative towards her.

Whenever Ron and Harry had Quidditch practice, she met Malfoy and they really did talk about anything and everything when they weren't studying. He really was different and he was intelligent and easy to talk to. All he needed was someone to treat him like a peer and not pester him about his mission from the Dark Lord or his assignment with Harry. He just wanted a little time out of his life to feel like a normal sixteen-year-old, and if she was the only person capable of giving him that than she wasn't going to take it away as payback for everything that he had ever done to her and her friends. She wasn't that cruel, and neither was he, at least not anymore, and not around her.

He had told her a lot of personal things and she appreciated his trust in her. He told her about how the highlights of his childhood had been spending time with his father and grandfather when he was too young to know about the Dark Lord and what was expected of him because he was a Malfoy. He told her about how he had learned to fly at the age of four. He told her about his close friendship with Theodore Nott and Daphne Greengrass and his odd follow-the-leader relationship with Crabbe and Goyle. He told her about his two Chocolate Labrador Retrievers, Silas and Owen. He told her about his mother's coddling because he had been a miracle child and his father's tough love because he was the Malfoy heir. He even told her about all of the habits of a spoiled child that Snape had tried to break him out of during his stay at Spinner's End over the summer.

He loved books almost as much as her and even had his own private library at Malfoy Manor. Almost his whole wardrobe was black because he thought that he looked good in it and his clothes and shoes were tailored and specially made because he had a tall, lean frame and big feet. He loves apples and ice cream, and hates most vegetables. He loves to swim, his favourite subject after Arithmancy is Potions, and he is absolutely clueless as to what he wants to do after Hogwarts.

"If you could go on holiday anywhere in the world where would you go?" Malfoy asked as they sat on the floor of the top of the Astronomy Tower, as usual.

They were taking turns asking each other random questions.

"Um." She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I think Australia or New Zealand; I hear that it's beautiful. You?"

She knew that he had been on holidays all over Europe with his parents so she was interested to hear his answer.

"America. I want to see what all the fuss is about," he grinned.

She laughed before she asked her next question. "What are three things that you couldn't live without?"

"That's easy," he scoffed. "Magic, sex, and money, and in that order, Quidditch is a close fourth though."

She blushed involuntarily at Malfoy mentioning that he couldn't live without sex. Men were so predictable. "For me it would be books, bubble baths, and peanut butter."

"Peanut butter?"

"Yeah," she nodded sheepishly. "I love it. Your question."

"What is your worst memory?" He frowned and immediately reworded his question. "Your worst memory that doesn't involve the Dark Lord or this war or anything like that. Your worst _normal_ memory?"

She didn't even have to think about her response. "The night of the Yule Ball."

"What?" He was shocked. "You went with Viktor Krum, every girl in the castle wanted to be you! You looked like you were having a good time to me."

She decided to ignore the fact that he specifically remembered her at the ball and smiled at the memory of how much of a gentleman Viktor had been and how easily she had allowed Ron to ruin her night. "I had a lovely time with Viktor but Ron said some rather nasty things that I let get to me. We rowed in the Common Room after the ball."

"Weasley is an idiot," Malfoy sneered.

"No, he isn't," she defended quickly. "He just…"

"Doesn't think before he speaks?"

"Sometimes," she acquiesced. "But he is not an idiot."

Malfoy huffed and she knew that they would have to agree to disagree. Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley would never get along, it didn't matter that they were on the same side now.

"You haven't answered your question," she pointed out.

"When my grandfather passed," he replied quietly. "That's really when my father changed and started to…groom me."

She felt her heart lurch a little bit. From the stories that he had told her, he had seemed very close to his Grandfather Malfoy as a boy. "I'm sorry."

"Please don't feel sorry for me, Granger," he said fiercely.

She nodded and bit down on her bottom lip. She knew exactly where he was coming from because she never wanted anyone to pity her either. She was too proud and so was he.

Malfoy was the moodiest, most confusing, and most complex guy that she had ever met but she enjoyed talking to him and she felt comfortable sharing things with him, and she never thought that she would feel that way about _him_ of all people. Her friendship with Malfoy was the most unlikely yet natural friendship that she had ever had, even more so than her friendship with both Harry and Ron. Some of the things that she had discussed with Malfoy, she had never considered telling her two best friends. Things between her, Harry, and Ron were always too serious for her to tell them what her favourite books are and what her favourite meal is and it was nice to talk about the little things with someone.

She liked spending time with him and it was starting to scare her but it also produced an enjoyable feeling in the pit of her stomach.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Harry winced as Ron stomped up the stairs to their dormitory ahead of him. This was it, the official end of Ron's frequent cheeriness. Ron was absolutely furious and truthfully, Harry was a little frightened. He had never seen his friend look so murderous.

They had just returned from a Quidditch practice where Ron had played terribly. His nerves and lack of confidence were getting to him as the season opening match against Slytherin approached. Harry had only just managed to stop Ron's whining about his poor play and convince him that he was a good Keeper who just needed to feel confident on his broom when they caught Ginny and Dean snogging in an empty corridor. Ron hadn't been happy when he had spotted the two kissing in the Three Broomsticks and because of his already sour mood, he had exploded.

Only Ron's outrage had distracted Harry from his jealously and disappointment in catching the two of them together. He wanted to be the one kissing Ginny in a deserted corridor.

To make things even worse, Ginny had unleashed her own Weasley temper on her brother for his interference and had screamed something that Harry thought Ron would be angry about for years.

"_If you went out and got a bit of snogging done yourself you wouldn't mind so much that everyone else does it!"_

"_You don't know what you're talking about!"_

"_Harry's snogged Cho Chang! And Hermione's done a lot more with Viktor Krum! Its only you who acts like it's something disgusting, and that's because you've got about as much experience as a twelve-year-old!"_

Ron barged into the sixth-year boys' dormitory and angrily kicked his trunk. Luckily, it was just him and Harry in the room. Ron was breathing heavily and refused to meet Harry's eyes. No guy liked to be called out on his lack of experience with the opposite sex, especially by his younger sister, and the subject of Hermione and Viktor Krum was a sore spot for Ron and Ginny knew it.

The redhead finally sat on his bed and Harry awkwardly took a seat on his own.

"What do you think Ginny meant by that thing about Hermione and Krum?" Ron asked suddenly.

Harry looked at his best friend frantically. "Oh…er…uh…" He thought that he knew exactly what Ginny was alluding to but that was the last thing that Ron wanted to hear. Unfortunately, the look on Harry's face must have given away his answer.

"Fucking bloody hell," Ron muttered.

"Ron, what Ginny said doesn't matter. Hermione invited _you_ to the Christmas party," Harry said as he attempted to calm him down for the umpteenth time this evening.

"I'm going to bed, Harry," Ron mumbled before aggressively pulling his curtains closed.

Harry sighed before getting ready for bed himself.

When he returned from the bathroom, he saw that a ripped issue of _Quidditch Illustrated_ was lying on Ron's bedside table. It was the issue that had Viktor Krum on the cover and an exclusive interview with the Bulgarian Seeker and his team inside. Harry remembered it because he and Ron had read it at the Burrow this summer and had laughed about Krum's teammates revealing to the magazine that the grouchy man was positively smitten with his British girlfriend. Regardless of whether or not they were actually referring to Hermione, Harry knew that was what Ron was thinking as he lay in his bed.

Obviously, Harry's weak attempt to help Ron had not succeeded and that combined with his own thoughts about Ginny and his conflicting feelings kept him up the whole night.

**A/N:** Question: Do you enjoy the contribution of canon material? Because I honestly love writing this spin on the books. And I love a good love triangle. Lol.


	17. The Noble and Most Ancient House

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :

**Chapter 17 - The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black**

Harry had been right to fear Ron's mood as it did not improve over night. His best friend was touchy and quick to become angry and he said as few words to Harry as possible. He didn't mention the argument with Ginny again but he was giving her and Dean the cold-shoulder, but what was even worse was how he was treating Hermione. He was cold, indifferent, and snappy towards her and it was obvious by the look on Hermione's face that she was deeply hurt and baffled by his behaviour. Harry felt sorry for her because she had seemed so excited about going to Slughorn's Christmas party with Ron and now he was acting like a complete prat.

After a tense day of difficult classes and Harry trying to keep his two best friends from arguing, things finally came to a head in the Gryffindor Common Room as the three of them worked on Snape's latest D.A.D.A. homework.

"Bloody hell…the git and his ridiculous homework…bloody hell," Ron mumbled to himself.

Hermione sighed. "I can help you if you want."

"I don't need _your_ help," he barked.

Harry's eyes widened and so did Hermione's.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" She asked with a frustrated huff.

"Nothing that you should care about."

"Ron," Harry began in a warning tone but he was ignored.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked and her voice was getting distinctly shriller, as it was known to do when she got angry.

Ron's face reddened and he carelessly tossed his homework onto the floor. "Shouldn't you be busy writing love letters to your boyfriend or something?" He yelled.

Harry looked around at the startled faces of a few nearby first-years. "Ron, keep your voice down."

Once again, he was ignored and Hermione's voice grew to match Ron's.

"What are you talking about?" She shrieked in bewilderment.

"I'm talking about you and Krum!"

Harry watched in awe as Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I broke up with Viktor," she told him quietly.

"So, you did go out with him?" Ron asked angrily.

"I broke up with him," she repeated.

The fact that Hermione had actually been in a relationship with Krum was news to Harry but he knew Hermione to be a very private person and she had probably confided in Ginny and no one else. Obviously, she wouldn't have told Ron because he would have angrily thrown out excuses for why he was jealous and reasons why Krum was all wrong for her.

Ron sneered and gathered his things in his arms. "I'm sure that you two were a _lovely _couple and that he gave you lots of _experiences_," he said nastily before dashing up the staircase to the dormitories.

Hermione watched him leave in a state of utter astonishment and Harry didn't know if he had ever seen her look so upset and ruffled after a fight with Ron, and that included their memorable fight after the Yule Ball.

"Hermione…"

She shook her head and stopped him from saying anything else.

"It's okay Harry," she said faintly. "I have to go and meet Malfoy."

She packed her bag hurriedly and fled the Common Room.

Harry leaned back in his armchair and heaved a sigh. He already had his N.E.W.T. classes, Quidditch, private lessons with Dumbledore, feelings for Ginny, and suspicions about Malfoy to deal with. Now his two best friends were seriously bickering and he could not think of a way to fix it. He just hoped that things between Ron and Hermione didn't get any worse.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco watched Granger enter the Room of Requirement with a smile on his face. His smile quickly dropped, however, when he noticed how flustered she appeared. She slammed her bag down on top of the table where he was sitting. Their requested room for studying looked eerily similar to the Hogwarts library with the added benefit of them being completely alone.

She tucked her curly hair behind her ear and avoided making eye contact with him.

"Are you okay, Granger?" He asked curiously.

"Fine," she snapped.

He laughed, "Apparently not."

She sat down beside him and glared angrily in his direction. "Just mind your own business, Malfoy."

Draco smirked to himself, she really was furious and he had a feeling that it had to do with a certain redheaded idiot. Sadly, he had determined over the last couple of weeks that Granger did have strong feelings for Weasley, for whatever reason, but she wanted him to make the first move and he was too scared to do so. Weasley was such an idiot because if it were him…well, Granger would already be in his bed by now. He could tell that Granger enjoyed spending time with him as a friend and as soon as she showed an interest in him as anything more, he would pounce.

"So, what did Weasley do this time?"

She looked surprised that he had figured things out so quickly. "What?"

"Only he gets you this upset so what did he do?" He asked again.

She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully and he stared at her perfect mouth. He could tell that she was debating whether or not she could trust him with this particular information and he decided that it was not the time to be fantasizing.

"Granger, remember, I have no one to tell your secrets to," he stated persuasively.

She sighed, "We just got into a fight about me and Viktor."

"You and _Krum_?" He asked surprised.

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess he somehow found out that we dated and it's not like I was purposely keeping it a secret from him, it's just that I knew he wouldn't take it well if I… displayed it."

Draco nodded in understanding. He could easily picture Weasley having a conniption after learning that Granger had been in a relationship with the most popular Quidditch player in the world, especially after the whole Yule Ball dilemma. He remembered that Theo had always believed the tabloid rumours about Krum and Granger but he had always disregarded them. At the time, he had felt that there was no way that _the_ Viktor Krum was interested in the bushy haired Mudblood.

"So, how did that work? I mean, he lives in Bulgaria," he probed.

"He came to England to visit a few times and I went to Bulgaria once, and we owled each other a lot," she explained. "I broke up with him this past summer," she told him quietly, "but Ron didn't seem to care about that important fact."

"Well, your relationships aren't any of his business, it's not like you're his girlfriend." Thank Merlin. "He's just jealous, he'll get over it."

He didn't want to come right out and tell her that the reason why Weasley was so angry was because a guy, and not just any guy, but one of the most talented, wealthiest, eligible bachelors in the wizarding world, had possibly beaten him to Granger's Snitch.

He watched her as she pulled a few textbooks out of her bag and laid them on the table. Maybe what was different about Granger this year was that she had a little sexual confidence and the boys of Hogwarts were subconsciously picking up on it? Merlin, he found that sexy and thought that Weasley was an even bigger idiot than he had initially given him credit for.

"So, how is your Charms essay coming along?" She asked moving into her role as his tutor.

"Done," he smirked.

"Transfiguration homework?"

"Done."

"Defence Against the Dark Arts?" She asked in surprise.

"Done," he answered with a satisfied grin. Granger was impressed, he could tell. "We don't have to study tonight."

"Actually," she sighed, "I don't think that I'd be able to concentrate anyway. I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "It's fine. I have something that might interest you and take your mind off things."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

"Oh?" She asked curiously. She had to admit that taking her mind off of things was a skill that Malfoy possessed.

He pulled a large, leather bound photo album out of his bag and handed it to her. "It's my mother's," he explained. "She gave it to me before I left for Hogwarts this year…feeling sentimental, I suppose."

Hermione laid the photo album down on the table and opened the cover. She gazed at the first photograph. It was an old family portrait.

"Those are my grandparents, Cygnus and Druella Black," he pointed, "and my mother."

Hermione smiled at the picture of the petite, little blonde girl framed by her two taller, dark haired sisters. It was incredibly odd to see a photo of Bellatrix Lestrange as a child no older than twelve. She was a beautiful, smiling girl but it was hard to imagine her ever being an innocent child.

"It's odd…" She trailed off.

"Aunt Bella? I know, but she wasn't always so deranged, according to Mother. The three of them were very close growing up and Bellatrix was fiercely protective of her younger sisters, and they looked up to her…she was clever and confident, and not afraid of going after what she wanted."

They flicked through pictures of the three Black girls growing up and their years at Hogwarts until they reached Narcissa and Lucius' wedding photos.

"Your mother is so beautiful," Hermione gasped.

Narcissa Malfoy was tall and had a figure that Hermione would love to have. Her luxurious blonde hair fell down to the middle of her back in soft waves and her bright blue eyes were sparkling. Her white, lace wedding dress was gorgeous and she wore a simple tiara and traditional veil.

"Yeah, she is," Malfoy smiled. "She was nineteen here. They married young, during the First Wizarding War."

"They look so…in love," she stated in astonishment.

"Still are," he told her.

"Really?" She asked, and she knew how disbelieving her voice sounded but she didn't know his mother and the thought of Lucius Malfoy being in love was absurd.

"I know what you're thinking and it's true, most pure-blood marriages are simply for show but not theirs."

"You sound so certain," she commented.

"I am certain," he responded. "You see its sort of a Malfoy tradition to keep journals and since Father has been in Azkaban, I've been reading his."

Hermione thought that that was both incredibly sweet and sad. His father may be Lucius Malfoy but he was still his father, and she could tell that he missed him. After all, he had told her plenty of pleasant memories of his father.

"It's pretty apparent from his journals that he loves my mother," he continued. "He chased her; he had to prove himself because she was a Black."

"Why would that matter?" Hermione asked confused as she thought of Sirius' tales of his family.

"The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black," he recited. "The Blacks are the longest line of pure-bloods in Britain and were one of the richest families at the time. You could bring no greater honour to your family than marrying a Black. All the pure-blood boys in Slytherin chased the Black sisters. They were above even a Malfoy."

"Do you ever think he married her for those reasons?"

"I did," he admitted. "Prior to reading Father's journals I thought that he wanted to marry her to please everyone else but the man who wrote those journals I've been reading was disgustingly in love with my mother." He laughed, "He courted her."

"You said was," she pointed out.

"What?"

"You said, '_was_ disgustingly in love'," she clarified.

"Oh," he sighed. "Well, I know that he still loves her but I've been wondering lately if he loves her enough to betray the Dark Lord and I don't think that he does."

"I'm sorry," she offered lamely. She didn't know what else to say and she momentarily forgot that in their friendship condolences were not welcomed.

"Its fine, Granger," he replied rather coldly. "I know that my father is a coward. He has the right intentions but no courage."

He hastily flicked the page of the photo album and the mood in the room became instantly more light-hearted because they had reached his baby pictures.

"You were so cute," she blurted out as she examined the picture of Narcissa holding a sleeping, newborn baby with pouty lips and a tuft of blonde hair.

"I'd like to think that I'm still quite cute," he retorted and she laughed.

The remainder of the photo album was very focused on the youngest Malfoy. It was clear that he was the center of Narcissa's world. There was his first bath, his first broomstick ride, his first hunting trip with his father, him with his letter from Hogwarts, and so on and so on. There were a lot of pictures of him throughout the years with Theodore Nott and Daphne Greengrass, and even a few with Pansy Parkinson.

"Are you and your mother close?" She asked curiously. She already knew that he cared for his mother a great deal. This year, the only times that she had seen Malfoy lose his temper was when he was trying to protect his mother. She also knew that Narcissa had been told by Healers that it would be almost impossible for her to have children and that he was her miracle.

"Very," he answered as he closed the thick album. "My mother has made a lot of sacrifices for me and she probably saved my life by bringing me to Snape. I'm willing to do anything that I can to protect her in turn."

Hermione looked away and awkwardly fiddled with the hem of her jumper. She was all of a sudden much too warm and she had never found Draco Malfoy so attractive. She had no idea that family was so important to him.

"How come your mother isn't a Death Eater? Does she not believe in pure-blood superiority?"

"Well, first you have to understand that very few women are Death Eaters. Women are supposed to just be supportive of their husbands, according to the Dark Lord. Aunt Bella is an exception, of course. My mother has no desire to commit herself to the Dark Lord anyway. She was raised to believe that she's better than everyone else so she does. My mother is a very proud woman who does value pure blood and money but she's seen what these two blood wars have done to her family. Her husband is in Azkaban. It's broken the strong bond between three sisters. Fifteen years of Azkaban brought back one sister that she barely recognizes and the other she hasn't spoken to in almost two decades because she married a Muggle-born. She has a niece that she doesn't know. And now, she fears for her only child. Family has always been everything to Mother and these wars have been slowly tearing hers apart."

Hermione stared at him dumbfounded. "I've never thought about it like that," she whispered.

"You mean, you've never thought about it from the dark side's perspective?" He grinned.

"No, I haven't."

She thought about all the destruction done in the name of Voldemort…All the families torn apart and the lives taken…Harry's parents…Cedric Diggory…all the innocent Muggles…Sirius…

"I really hate him," she said passionately.

"Who?" Malfoy asked confused.

"Voldemort," she answered.

He visibly shuddered. "You say his name."

"Yes! And why shouldn't I?" She asked defensively.

He grinned at her again. "Could you be any feistier?"

She blushed and looked down at her watch to avoid his heated gaze. "It's getting really late."

"Um…yeah, it is," he replied disappointedly.

She got to her feet and packed her bag. She couldn't bring herself to look at him but she was dying to ask him a question. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously before she finally raised her head. "Malfoy, can I ask you something?"

"Well, you can ask," he replied cheekily.

She rolled her eyes but spoke anyway. "You said that it's a Malfoy tradition to keep journals, so do you?"

"I do," he nodded. "Since I could write."

She smiled because she thought that keeping journals was so artistic and expressive…and attractive. She could not even imagine Ron keeping a journal. "That's neat."

She shouldered her bag and began to walk out of the room. She stopped and turned around when Malfoy called out to her.

"Yes?"

"You're in it more times than I can count," he confessed. "Especially in the last few months. I've never met someone so intriguing before."

The traitorous blush spread across her cheeks and she waved weakly before rushing out of the Room of Requirement.

She thought that he was far more intriguing than she was but it wasn't just what he had said, it was how he had said it. The timbre of his voice had dipped and he had sounded husky…and aroused. She stopped mid-step on her way to Gryffindor Tower. If Malfoy was attracted to her than their little arrangement and friendship had just gotten a lot more complicated and she was in no way prepared to deal with it.

She had just gotten into an argument with Ron over an ex-boyfriend so the last thing that she needed was more testosterone in her life.

**A/N: **I LOVE this chapter so please review and let me know if you love it too! :)


	18. Felix Felicis

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot.

**Chapter 18 - Felix Felicis**

Harry walked into the Great Hall for breakfast with a confident strut and smile. The enchanted ceiling told him that today's weather was ideal for the first match of the Quidditch season. The Gryffindors were all dressed in red and gold, carrying house flags, and excitedly cheering as they spotted their Captain and Keeper. Harry was eager to get on his broom and start the match and not even all the booing from the Slytherins could dampen his mood as he approached the Gryffindor table and sat next to his teammates.

However, Ron, who was sitting across from him, looked like he was going to be sick at any moment.

"Bloody hell, Harry," he murmured nervously. "I can't do this."

"You just need to eat something," Harry recommended.

Ron shook his head. "That's not a good idea."

Ron was terrified and Harry was not surprised.

The last couple of Gryffindor Quidditch practices had produced some of the worst Keeping that Harry had ever seen. Ron's anger over the Hermione-Viktor Krum revelation had caused him to fly terribly and snap at his teammates. Ron had been on edge and in a bad temper ever since his argument with Ginny, and then even worse since he had fought with Hermione in the Common Room a few nights ago, but now he was just nervous that he was going to ruin Gryffindor's chances of beating Slytherin.

Harry had been worried about that as well until a brilliant idea had occurred to him last night. Hopefully, it would not only allow Ron to play to his full potential but also bring him back to his cheerful self so that he could settle things with Hermione.

The girl in question arrived at the table and sat down next to Harry.

"Good morning," she said quietly with only a brief glance at Ron.

Ron and Hermione had spoken few words to each other since "the big fight", as Harry had been internally calling it. His life was a lot easier when his two best friends were on speaking terms.

"Good morning, Hermione," he responded.

She smiled at him but quickly diverted her attention to her copy of the _Daily Prophet_.

Hermione's gaze turned quite icy as Lavender Brown called out to Ron from down the table.

"Cheer up Ron! I know you'll be brilliant!"

Ron smiled weakly at her but turned to Harry to grimace.

"Harry," he whined.

"Here, just have some pumpkin juice." He grabbed a goblet and pushed it towards Ron. "Here you go, drink up."

Hermione looked at Harry suspiciously as Ron raised the glass to his mouth.

"Don't drink that!" She cried.

Ron looked at her, both startled by her outburst and the fact that she was talking to him. "Why not?"

Hermione turned to Harry with disbelieving eyes and shot accusingly, "You just put something in his drink!"

Harry feigned offense. "I don't know what you're talking about." He swiftly stowed the tiny bottle of Felix Felicis that he had hidden up his sleeve in his pocket, but he made sure that Hermione's eye caught what he was holding.

"Ron, don't drink it," she said sternly.

Ron looked at her defiantly and Harry saw an unfamiliar gleam of bravado in his expression as he drained the goblet in one gulp.

"I don't believe you, Harry," Hermione whispered angrily. "You could be expelled for that!"

"Confunded anyone lately?" He shot back.

Hermione huffed in annoyance before she stormed out of the Great Hall without wishing him good luck before a match for the first time in six years. He wouldn't allow himself to feel guilty for deceiving her. He would explain everything to her later because Hermione had never understood the seriousness of Quidditch.

He turned back to Ron with a grin. "Nearly time now."

His best friend grinned back at him assertively. "We've got a game to win."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione fixed her red and gold scarf and knitted hat as she stomped to the Quidditch pitch in fury and disbelief. She couldn't believe Harry! He had slipped Felix Felicis into Ron's pumpkin juice when he knew that using Liquid Luck for a sport was illegal! He was willing to risk getting expelled to beat Slytherin in a _Quidditch _match! She had never thought that Harry would do such a thing and then he had the gall to make a snide remark about how she had Confunded McLaggen. Well, that was only tryouts, this was an actual match…they were completely different!

And Ron! She didn't even want to begin to think about his recent behaviour. They had barely spoken since their fight in the Common Room and she was fed up with him.

She had been having more secret meetings with Malfoy. They studied and then they just talked and continued to share secrets. She truly was enjoying his company more and more. He was still arrogant, sarcastic, and brash but he wasn't a cruel, little boy anymore. He was intelligent and insightful, surprisingly mature beyond his years and sometimes, he reminded her of Harry. He had a large chip on his shoulder and much more responsibility than a sixteen-year-old should.

She made her way up to the stands with the rest of the Gryffindors and stood beside Neville. On her other side was Luna wearing her famous lion headdress. Many of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs cheered for Gryffindor when they played Slytherin but none of them were ever as enthusiastic about it as Luna.

The Gryffindor and Slytherin teams walked out onto the pitch and Hermione instantly noticed that Malfoy was not amongst them. Her brow furrowed in confusion. She knew that he was still on the Slytherin team and that he had been practicing hard so why wasn't he playing in the most important match of the season?

She barely had time to consider the possibilities before Madam Hooch blew the whistle and the fourteen players on the ground kicked into the air.

The game was fast paced, like every Quidditch match that she had ever seen, and unfairly commentated by an unlikeable Hufflepuff, Zacharias Smith. He made jabs at Harry's friendship with Ron and Ginny and their places on the team.

But the Gryffindor team was playing brilliantly. Ginny scored goal after goal and Ron had yet to let the Quaffle past him. He kept making unbelievable, acrobatic saves and Hermione looked on in amazement and begrudgingly clapped as the rest of the Gryffindors around her went nuts. She could see the grin on Ron's face as her housemates began the complimentary version of _Weasley is our King_.

All of a sudden, Harry and the new Slytherin Seeker, Harper, zoomed towards the ground with Harry uncharacteristically lagging behind.

The Slytherins began to cheer rambunctiously and the Gryffindors waited with bated breath as the two Seekers closed in on the Snitch.

Miraculously, Harry emerged triumphant with the Snitch in his hand and half of the crowd roared jubilantly.

Hermione watched the victorious Gryffindor team leave the pitch arm in arm and then she slowly filed out of the stands behind dozens of students. By the time that she reached the locker room, Harry and Ron were the only ones left inside. The rest of the team had headed back to the Common Room for the party.

"I want a word with you Harry," she began determinedly.

The ensuing argument started and ended so quickly that it seemed that she was left alone in the locker room with Harry before she could even blink.

She had accused Harry of spiking Ron's pumpkin juice with Liquid Luck and he had happily confessed that he hadn't actually done it, he had just made it seem like he did so that Ron would feel confident. There had been a moment of cheerfulness and calm before Ron rounded on her and yelled at her for believing that the only reason that he had played well was because of a potion.

"_See! I can save goals without help, Hermione!"_

"Um…" Harry began awkwardly after Ron had stormed off. "Shall we go up to the party, then?"

She blinked back the tears behind her eyes and avoided looking at Harry. "You go! I'm sick of Ron at the moment!"

She left the locker room and took a long walk around the castle.

She only headed back to Gryffindor Tower when she was sure that her tears were no longer on the verge of breaking free.

She stepped through the portrait hole and the noise of celebrating Gryffindors quickly assaulted her ears. At the center of the party was Ron wrapped closely around Lavender Brown. There was absolutely no space between their bodies or their mouths.

She had never expected the scene before her to hurt so much but it did. It felt like she was being stabbed through the chest with burning knives. She felt the tears return and she quickly fled the Common Room before she was spotted.

She took shelter in the first unlocked classroom that she found and let the tears fall. She felt so stupid and that was one thing that she was not used to. Despite the fact that she and Ron hadn't been very friendly to each other recently, she had thought that everything between them would blow over before Professor Slughorn's Christmas party. In her mind, they would go together and have a great time and their relationship would finally take a romantic turn.

How could she be that stupid?

She knew that Lavender had a crush on Ron but she never imagined that he would reciprocate her feelings. What did he see in Lavender Brown? She laughed darkly to herself because she knew exactly what he saw in her dorm mate. Lavender was feminine and girly. She took time getting ready in the morning and she actually cared about her appearance. Lavender had long, blonde hair and large breasts. She wasn't completely absorbed in her studies and she thought that Ron was the funniest guy and most brilliant Quidditch player that she had ever met.

Still…she had been so sure that Ron fancied _her_.

She pulled out her wand and did the one thing that she knew would take her mind off of everything. She practiced her spellwork. She conjured a small flock of yellow birds out of midair. They twittered around her head and chirped happily.

She heard the door creak open and a soft voice call her name. It was Harry.

"I was just practicing," she said weakly.

He walked towards the teacher's desk that she was perched on and hopped up to sit beside her. "Well, they're really good."

"Thanks," she replied. She tried to limit her sobbing in the presence of her best friend but it was hard. "Ron seems to be enjoying himself," she squeaked.

"Does he?" Harry asked awkwardly.

Before Hermione could respond with a bitter remark, the classroom door burst open and the two people that she didn't want to see stumbled through the door. Ron was laughing and pulling a giggling Lavender by the hand.

"Oh," he said lamely as his eyes found Hermione and Harry.

"Oops!" Lavender let out a few more annoying giggles before she backed out of the room.

Hermione stared at Ron but he refused to even look at her. He greeted Harry but didn't even acknowledge her. In a furious, jealous rage she set the flock of little birds on Ron and they sped towards him at a high speed and began to peck at his exposed skin.

He ran out of the room yelling with the golden birds chasing after him and a fresh wave of tears hit her.

Harry sweetly reached for her hand to comfort her but she shook her head. "I'm okay, Harry. You should go back to the party. You played great today."

"Hermione, I can stay here…"

She shook her head once again. "I don't want you to choose between your friends. Go back to the party."

Harry lingered for a moment before he reluctantly walked towards the door. He sent her a small smile which she returned. She knew that Harry wasn't great with words…or crying girls…but he had been willing to stay with her and she appreciated his thoughtfulness. But she really just wanted to be alone at the moment.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco had just given up on the Vanishing Cabinet for another night and had resigned himself to returning to his dormitory when he noticed Potter emerge from a classroom. The seventh floor corridor was deserted so he casually addressed his public, Gryffindor rival.

"Why aren't you in your common room celebrating your big win, Potter?"

He shrugged awkwardly and glanced towards the closed door of the classroom that he had just come out of. "I was just…talking…to Hermione," he mumbled.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Potter, you're acting really fucking dodgy. What's going on?"

Harry sighed, "Ron kissed Lavender."

"Brown?" He asked confused and Harry nodded. "And Granger is upset?"

"Very," Harry revealed.

Draco turned his head to face the classroom that Granger was supposedly currently hiding in and he exhaled loudly. Weasley is an idiot. How many times did he have to say it before someone, other than Slytherins, believed him?

"Go back to your common room Potter, I'll talk to her."

"Are you sure? She's pretty upset."

"I'll handle it," Draco barked.

Potter had no idea how his relationship with Granger had progressed. He had no idea that they talked about practically everything.

"Okay," Harry replied sceptically. "Don't blame me if she hexes you," he added before he turned and walked back towards Gryffindor Tower.

Draco tentatively opened the door and slipped inside the abandoned classroom.

"I'm fine Harry, I told you to go back to the party."

Her voice wasn't as confident or bossy as it usually was and it disturbed him to see _the_ Hermione Granger appear so vulnerable. "He did go back to the party," he answered softly.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione's head shot upwards upon hearing the familiar, currently unwanted voice. She looked at his lean frame standing just inside the doorway as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. "You're really the last person I want to see right now, Malfoy."

She felt like she would rather have an encore appearance of Ron and Lavender than talk to Malfoy while she was emotional. He was the only person that she knew who was harder to read than Ron. He kept his thoughts and emotions very close to his chest but he had opened up to her and he wrote about her in his freaking journal.

He slowly walked towards the teacher's desk that she was sitting on and stood in front of her. "On the contrary Granger, I think that I'm exactly who you need to talk to right now."

Her eyes met his in challenge. "And why is that?"

"Who complains about how big of an idiot Weasley is more than me?" He grinned. "And he is an idiot, and Brown is kind of a slag too, isn't she?"

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. "Stop it Malfoy. Stop lying to make me feel better."

"Oh, I'm not, I assure you, I am just telling you the truth. He's not particularly bright or good-looking, and he's poorer than a house elf," he stated with his usual air of superiority. "And you may share a dormitory with Brown but you definitely haven't heard some of the stories that I have, trust me, she's a slag. My point is that Weasley definitely doesn't deserve to have you crying over him."

"I am not crying over him," she argued fiercely.

"Come on Granger," he chuckled. "I know that I am a highly intelligent and perceptive individual but you don't hide your feelings for him well."

She knew that her feelings for Ron were obvious and she hated it. And she hated that Ron couldn't see it.

"You are so conceited," she huffed as she watched him smirk. She took a deep breath before she confessed some of her deepest insecurities. "Okay, so what if I am? I'm entitled to wallow in my own self-pity and complain about how not even the one boy that I was sure liked me doesn't even find me attractive enough to ask me out. Instead he's off snogging Lavender Brown somewhere!"

"Stop you're wallowing for a moment," he demanded. "You may be a lot of things Granger, like a know-it-all and bossy come to mind." He laughed as she smacked his chest with her small hand. "But you are _not _unattractive and you can do so much better than Weasley."

"Malfoy, I really appreciate your efforts to cheer me up but don't lie to me to make me feel better about Ron."

"Granger, you insult me." He feigned hurt and placed a hand over his heart. "Malfoys are not liars." She scoffed and even he cracked a smile. "Let me rephrase that, have_ I_ ever lied to _you_, Granger?"

She shook her head and laughed at the absolute absurdity of the fact that of all of the people in her life, Malfoy had never lied to her. In the past, he had embarrassed her and called her down to the dirt but their new friendship was one of complete honesty.

"No, Malfoy," she answered meekly.

"Exactly! So why would I now? You have no idea the effect that you have on people," he grinned. "You obviously don't notice the way blokes look at you, especially this year." He leaned in and whispered, "You have a very nice arse."

She laughed and blushed involuntarily.

"Nice legs too. You've somehow managed to tame that hair of yours so instead of looking like a bushy mane all the time it just looks like you've been freshly shagged and to a guy that is very appealing. Your skin is soft and flawless." He placed a hand under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. She jumped a little bit because she hadn't realized that he was standing so close. He trailed a thumb across her jawline. "You have great bone structure, and beautiful eyes, and nice lips. I think that you are so sexy and Weasley is just too stupid to notice," he whispered huskily.

She stared at him for a long moment. There were so many things that she was noticing for the first time. He was much taller than she had thought; he was even taller than Ron. His eyes were predominantly grey with a hint of blue and they brightened depending on his mood. At the moment, they were the bluest that she had ever seen them, they looked just like his mother's. His pale blonde hair was perfectly combed in place except for the fringe that fell over his right eye. His strong aristocratic features suited his stature perfectly and he really was beautiful.

The girls of Hogwarts had been fawning over him since first year but she had never seen the attraction. It really showed her how her perception of him had changed as she had gotten to know him.

He was staring at her with such sincerity that it caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach. She knew that _he_ found her attractive and it was a very powerful feeling.

She tentatively reached out and placed a hand on his upper arm, feeling his bicep that was nowhere near as large as Ron's but still firm and strong. He was much thinner and leaner…the build of a Seeker.

She gently pulled him closer and in a move that surprised them both, she kissed him.

She initiated it. _She_ claimed _his_ lips.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco placed both of his hands on the desk on either side of her small frame. He had been thrown off balance when she brought her other hand forward to wrap around the back of his neck and pull him even closer. He kissed her back enthusiastically and it was not the timid, slow, shy kiss that he had envisioned, many times, from Granger. It was passionate, needy, and fierce. He groaned unabashedly and tightly gripped the wood beneath his hands.

Merlin, this girl could kiss.

She ran a hand through his silken hair, lightly scraping his scalp with her short fingernails as she sexily tugged on his bottom lip.

Weasley is _such _an idiot.

She abruptly ended their intimate contact, leaving him aching for more. She covered her face with both of her hands and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

He was confused. Why was she apologizing for the best snogging session of his young life? He had kissed part-Veelas and he still had never felt as aroused before as he did at the moment.

He shoved both of his hands in the pockets of his trousers and cleared his throat. "Its fine," he replied with contrived nonchalance.

She clasped her hands in her lap and gave him a small smile. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen. Her eyes were still a little red from crying earlier but he had never found her more attractive.

"Thanks for saying all those things," she told him somewhat shyly.

"I meant them," he replied.

She chuckled lightly, "You're so confusing, Malfoy."

She was the confusing one. He thought that he had always been quite blunt with her. He told her that he found her intriguing and sexy. He had never been so clear with a girl. Obviously, he wanted to snog some more.

"I should head back," she said quietly.

"Right," he answered and slowly realized that in order for her to leave he would have to move out of her way.

He took a step back from the desk and the newly created space allowed her to hop onto the floor.

"Why didn't you play today?" She asked suddenly.

"I was in the hospital wing this morning with a fever," he answered.

"Oh, I hope that you're feeling better. Bye Malfoy," she said coyly.

"Yeah, see ya Granger," he responded as she opened the classroom door and slipped out of sight.

"What the fuck was that?" He asked himself aloud once he was alone.

He had never acted so…nervous…in front of a girl…not even when he was thirteen and had just realized the wonders of girls. He was always confident and predatory. If he was truly acting like himself, he would be shagging Granger on top of the desk right now.

She was driving him barmy but he would not let her get away with snogging him senseless, apologizing for it, and then walking away.

**A/N: **The scene between Hermione and Draco has been written since I first started this fic so please let me know what you think. Leave a review! :)


	19. Slughorn's Christmas Party

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 19 – Slughorn's Christmas Party**

Hermione sat at her usual table in the library and looked up from her books to watch the snow falling outside.

The Christmas holidays were fast approaching. The castle was once again beautifully decorated with tinsel, holly, everlasting candles, and even mistletoe. Hagrid had delivered the twelve large Christmas trees to the Great Hall and most students seemed to be in a fairly jolly mood.

Hermione Granger was not one of those students.

She spent the majority of her time that she was not in lessons in the library working on the large pile of assignments and readings that needed to be done before the holiday. She also had to deal with annoyingly giddy dorm mates. Lavender and Parvati giggled about Ron late at night while she was trying to sleep and Hermione had taken to putting Charms around her bed to block out their gossiping. To make matters even worse, Lavender was practically glued to Ron whenever they weren't in class and she had never seen Ron in a better mood.

She had overheard him telling Harry that she had no reason to be upset by the fact that he was dating Lavender because she had dated Viktor Krum, and apparently Ron was a "free agent". Really? What a childish reason! Maybe Malfoy was right and he was just jealous.

Well, she was definitely not jealous of Lavender…definitely not…well, she couldn't stand to be in the same vicinity as the two lovebirds and she barely spoke to Ron nowadays…so, maybe she was a little bit jealous.

But then there was Malfoy. They still talked and studied together and he took every opportunity to discreetly touch her. He would lay his hand on top of hers or brush her hair out of her face but overall, he had become more distant and she wasn't quite sure what to make of the contradiction in his behaviour. She could only reason that the stress of everything was getting to him and that he was both dreading and looking forward to going home for Christmas.

She was spending more time than usual in the library with Harry and she supposed that he was trying to equally split time between his two feuding friends.

Unfortunately, he often brought up the subject of Ron and that always resulted in her becoming angry and defensive.

"He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes. I really couldn't care less," she declared one day as she wrote an Arithmancy essay.

After all, she had kissed Malfoy. And it had been an incredible kiss that she was trying her hardest to keep at the back of her mind. One moody boy was enough for her, she didn't need two. But Malfoy was essentially Ron's opposite in every possible way and that was appealing.

However, she definitely was not going to divulge that piece of information to Harry.

After a long period of silence from Harry, she spoke again.

"Have you asked anyone to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party yet?"

He shook his head. "There isn't anyone I want to invite."

Hermione smiled to herself. She knew that Harry was lying and that the person that he wanted to invite was already spoken for. "Well, I would invite someone. Some girls are getting desperate for you to ask them, I heard that Romilda Vane is trying to slip you a love potion."

"Really?" He squeaked.

She nodded grimly. "If you ask someone then they won't think that they still have a chance and in the meantime, I'd watch what you drink."

Harry chuckled quietly so as to not incur the wrath of Madam Pince. "Why don't we just go together?"

Hermione froze. She had hoped that Harry would not suggest that.

After the Ron and Lavender disaster, she had logically concluded that they were not going to the Christmas party together. The next day, while she was still at the height of her anger and feeling rather spiteful, she had run into Cormac McLaggen. He had mentioned Slughorn's party and she had impulsively asked him to go with her. He had smiled quite smugly and quickly accepted her offer. It had seemed like the perfect idea at the time. Cormac was good-looking and Ron despised him. She was beginning to regret her decision however, but she couldn't back out now.

"I'm sorry Harry, but I already asked someone else."

He looked at her quizzically but didn't ask any questions. "Okay, we'll I'll ask someone cool, who I know won't slip me a love potion."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione sat on Ginny's bed in the fifth-year girls' dormitory as she watched her friend curl her long, sleek red hair. Ginny was wearing a lovely, floor length, green dress while she was wearing a pale pink, knee length dress that showed off a lot more skin than she was used to and tightly fit her form. She was a tad uncomfortable but Ginny told her that she looked incredible and threatened her if she were to change. She had tamed her hair into small curls, pinned some of it back from her face, and had applied the faintest bit of makeup.

The two girls had decided to get ready for Professor Slughorn's Christmas party together since they didn't get to spend as much time together throughout the school year as they did in the summer time. Hermione enjoyed talking to Ginny as she was really her only female friend and she clearly wasn't able to have girl talk with Harry and Ron. Ginny had been the only person that she had told about Viktor.

"I still can't believe that stunt you pulled in the Great Hall," Ginny laughed.

Hermione blushed and sighed. "Stop it, Gin. I really wish I hadn't but I was so angry at him."

"No, it was absolutely brilliant. After you left, Ron just stared and Lavender and Parvati immediately started gossiping."

The "stunt" that Ginny was referring to was when she had announced at dinner, in front of Ron, that she was attending Slughorn's party with Cormac.

"_You're going to Slughorn's party tonight, aren't you, Hermione?" Parvati Patil had asked._

"_Yes, I'm meeting Cormac at eight and we're going up to the party together."_

"_Cormac? Cormac McLaggen?"_

"_That's right."_

"_Wow," Parvati had giggled. "You like your Quidditch players, don't you? First Krum, now McLaggen…"_

"_I like _really good _Quidditch players," she had corrected with an over the top smile._

The only reason that she had done it in the first place was because Ron had done a cruel impression of her in Transfiguration and she had spent her free period afterwards crying in the loo. She had regretted inviting Cormac much less after Ron's actions and had wanted to show him that she was not pining for him.

"Ron deserved it," Ginny stated. "We both know how jealous he gets. He's only dating Lavender because he feels that he needs to get even because you dated Viktor. He's so immature."

"Yeah, he is," she agreed.

Ginny finished her hair and started on her makeup. "Hermione, he's my brother and I love him, I have to," she added with a chuckle. "But I'm not sure what you see in him."

It was true that Ron had many faults. He was immature, lazy, and insensitive. He procrastinated far too much. Everything was a joke to him. He was messy, had poor table manners, he was a terrible dresser, and he didn't give a second thought to his appearance. He swears far too much and used a crude vocabulary in general. He was jealous, easily agitated and embarrassed, and possessed a total lack of self-confidence. He consistently poked fun at things that are important to her and had the ability to get under her skin like no one else. They argued about absolutely everything and he seemed to be completely controlled by his hormones lately.

_But_ he was one of her best friends and he was brave, honest, and loyal. He always knew when to ease the tension in a situation. He was passionate about everything that he cares about. His family meant the world to him. Most of the time he makes her feel smart and wanted and his compliments affected her more than receiving an 'Outstanding'. She found every one of his physical features attractive and she couldn't explain why. She loved his red hair, his blue eyes, his tall, broad frame, his large hands, and his scarred, rough skin. Most importantly, she felt like she had cared about him since the moment that they had first met. She felt like she had been in love with the awkward, red-haired boy since he had sacrificed himself in the life size Wizard's Chess match in their first year.

Even Viktor, the perfect gentleman, who was willing to give up his Quidditch career for her and move to Britain, hadn't been able to take her mind off of Ron Weasley.

"It's complicated," she muttered. "He drives me mad but…"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably before deciding on a way to successfully change the topic of conversation.

"I suppose that you think that Harry and I are better suited for each other." This time it was Ginny who was visibly uncomfortable and Hermione laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"I'm glad that he's going to the party with Luna," Ginny commented.

"Yeah, because you know that they're just friends," Hermione teased.

She was almost positive that Harry now had feelings for Ginny as well but she wanted the two of them to sort things out on their own. She would not meddle.

"You're the one that told me to date other people, Hermione, and right now things with Dean are going really well. Maybe, you should take your own advice…but maybe not with McLaggen," she laughed.

"I know," Hermione exhaled. "I don't know how I'm going to survive tonight."

"Lots of Butterbeer," Ginny chuckled.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco sat on his bed with a book in his lap and scratched Crookshanks' head as he and Theo watched Blaise ready himself for Slughorn's Christmas party.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to go with Pansy, Draco?" The dark haired boy asked as he straightened his tie.

Draco scoffed, "Believe me, it's fine."

He had always thought that Blaise believed himself above Pansy Parkinson but he could really care less if they shagged in Slughorn's office tonight. At least then Pansy would stop sending him long, regretful looks at supper. He needed that girl distracted.

"So, who else is going to be at this party?" He asked casually.

"Potter, and I heard that he asked Lovegood to go with him."

"Loony Lovegood?" Theo laughed. "That's priceless."

"McLaggen is going with Granger," Blaise added.

"Really?" Theo inquired nosily while looking at Draco. "Are they going out?"

Blaise shrugged. "I suppose so."

Crookshanks stiffened and Draco was equally displeased. Granger hadn't mentioned anything about McLaggen. Of course, she hadn't brought up their mind-blowing kiss either and it had resulted in him being in a rather foul mood. Also, he had been absolutely bogged down with homework this past week. Slytherins complaining that he hadn't played in the match against Gryffindor had been harassing him and Snape was pressuring him to make some progress with the Vanishing Cabinet before the holiday. But he would lose it if Granger was actually dating _McLaggen_. Weasley was bad enough; he couldn't stomach _McLaggen_ touching her. She would not kiss him and then date _McLaggen_.

"Well, I'm off," Blaise announced as he walked out of the dormitory.

"Have fun," Theo yelled happily.

Draco picked up his book and tried to ignore Theo's large grin, which he could see in his peripheral vision. "What do you want?" He finally asked annoyed.

"Well, what do you think of Granger and McLaggen as an item?"

"Why would it matter to me?" He responded.

"Oh please," Theo laughed, "as if you don't think about her when you're wanking."

He looked at Theo in disbelief before he cracked a small grin. "Do you ever think about anything other than sex?"

"Sometimes I think about Quidditch and food, the occasional lesson," he smirked.

"You're unbelievable," Draco chuckled.

"Yeah, and you're a liar," his best friend retorted quickly.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Theo, let's be reasonable for a moment, how stupid would it be for _me_ to get involved with _Granger_?"

As bad as he wanted her, he knew that it was a stupid idea that could endanger them both.

Theo hopped off of his bed and fixed Draco with a serious stare. "Drake, I know how deep into this war you are, and will continue to be, and getting involved with Granger is the best thing that could happen to a prat like you. And don't think that I haven't noticed changes in you since these 'study sessions' started. You fancy her…and her cat," he laughed.

"Piss off!"

Theo laughed loudly on his way out of the room. "I'm going to go hang out with Daph. Think things over!"

Draco frowned as he looked around his empty dormitory. Theo was now with Daphne, Crabbe and Goyle were Merlin knows where, and Blaise was at Slughorn's party…with Granger. He tossed his book onto his bedside table and got up off of his bed. He decided that tonight, with the majority of the castle excited for the Christmas holiday and distracted by Slughorn's party, would be an opportune time to work on the Vanishing Cabinet.

He grabbed a green apple that he had taken from the Great Hall at supper before he left the room and headed to the Room of Requirement.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Professor Slughorn's office was beautifully decorated and alive with music and conversation. The walls and ceiling were draped in Christmas colours and it appeared as if all of the guests were inside a large tent. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling was surrounded by real fairies and bathed the room in a red light. A number of house elves were carrying silver trays and serving the guests food and drinks. Most students, professors, and a few famous guests seemed to be having a good time but to Hermione the room was crowded, hot and stuffy, she had to refrain from commenting on house elf rights, Harry was nowhere to be found, and her date was not going well.

"So, I reached out and just touched the Quaffle with the tips of my fingers. Pretty great, huh?" Cormac grinned conceitedly after he retold yet another of his Quidditch stories.

Hermione merely nodded as she took a sip of her Butterbeer, her third so far this evening. She had to put forth all of her energy into not rolling her eyes. The only things that he had said after telling her that she looked nice were Quidditch related! He hadn't asked her one question about herself, he seemed particularly fond of giving her the lengthy commentary on the best saves that he had ever made, and he couldn't stop leering at her chest.

She couldn't believe that she had actually asked him out. What had she been thinking? Yes, he was good-looking and Ron can't stand him but spending time in his company was definitely not worth it. Cormac McLaggen could only be described as self-centered, rude, and pompous, and she had seen at Quidditch tryouts that he had a bad temper.

Cormac reached out and gently touched her elbow. "Hermione?"

Was he finally going to be polite and ask his date about herself? "Yes?"

He glanced upwards and her eye line followed his. To her absolute horror, she saw that there was mistletoe hanging above them.

He looked down at her and smiled in what he seemed to think was a seductive way. "We can go back to the Common Room soon, if you like? Or we can go find an empty classroom?"

"Um…I…"

She rattled her brain for an appropriate, civil response but before she could think of anything, she noticed Cormac's face moving ominously closer and she felt one of his hands on her waist.

She quickly slipped out of his grasp and hastily said, "Actually, I have to go to the loo! I'll be back!"

She scurried away and out of sight. She slipped between two men and took a deep breath. She needed to get out of here…now.

"Hermione!"

She turned around at the sound of her friend's voice. "Harry! There you are, thank goodness! Hi, Luna!" She added happily as he saw the blonde at Harry's side.

Harry looked her over with a suspicious, arched eyebrow. "What's happened to you?"

She reached up and fixed her hair which had fallen out of place. She realized she must look rather dishevelled. "Oh, I've just escaped…I mean, I've just left Cormac under the mistletoe."

"Serves you right for coming with him," Harry reprimanded.

"I thought he'd annoy Ron the most," she confessed in frustration.

Harry shot her a disapproving look that she was not used to receiving.

"Well, it should make you happy to know that Cormac makes Grawp look like a gentleman and all I've heard about all evening is Quidditch!" She looked over Harry's shoulder and spotted a head of short, blonde hair in the distance. He was easy to spot because he was so tall. "Oh no, here he comes!"

She dashed away from Harry and Luna without a second glance and this time she didn't hide in the opposite corner of the room, she left Professor Slughorn's office altogether. She was not going to spend the rest of her night dodging Cormac. She was just going to return to Gryffindor Tower and go to bed.

She huffed as she strode down the corridor. Harry was right, she shouldn't have invited Cormac but she had desperately wanted to make Ron jealous.

Boys were really ruining her year thus far.

She had gone to the Christmas party with Cormac McLaggen but wished that she had gone with Ron and she wished that Ron was more like…

She stopped dead in her tracks as it hit her that she wished that Ron was more like Malfoy and she had never thought that she would _ever_ think that. But Malfoy was devastatingly physically attractive, intelligent, and athletic. He shared thoughts, feelings, and secrets with her and actually listens when she speaks and that was what she craved from Ron the most.

He never listens to her!

But Malfoy loves to listen to the sound of her voice…

"Granger?"

She raised her head and saw that the one person that she had been thinking about was standing a few feet away from her.

"Why aren't you at Slughorn's party? Is it really that…?"

She grabbed the lapels of his black suit jacket and cut him off with a passionate kiss. She felt butterflies in her stomach again. God, she fancied Malfoy! What did that mean?

When she released him, he looked at her with a satisfied grin. "Too much Butterbeer, Granger?"

She chuckled, "Maybe a little bit."

He laughed with her for a moment before they both heard heavy footsteps approaching.

"Oh shit," he muttered. "It's probably Filch." He waved his wand over both of them and cast a Disillusionment Charm. He reached for her hand and threaded their fingers together. "Come on!"

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco led her down to the dungeons and quickly gave the password, Galleons, to the portrait guarding the Slytherin Common Room. They walked through the empty room and to the sixth-year boys' dormitory which was, thankfully, also empty. He locked the door behind them and removed the Disillusionment Charm. He grinned as he watched Granger curiously look around the room. He was willing to bet that she never thought that she would find herself in this particular dormitory.

"Crookshanks," she exclaimed excitedly as her eyes fell on his bed.

Draco removed his suit jacket and draped it carefully over his trunk while she affectionately scratched her cat behind the ears. He could already hear the large fur ball purring.

"Is he still bothering you?" She asked. "I try to keep him in my dormitory but he manages to sneak out."

"No, we've come to a mutual understanding," he replied.

"And what's that?" She asked with a small, sexy laugh.

"I'll pet him and allow him to sleep on my bed as long as he doesn't hiss at me, scratch me, ruin my clothes or sleep near my face."

She laughed again. "Are you being a good boy, Crooks," she cooed. She sat down on his bed, next to her cat, and awkwardly smoothed out the skirt of her dress. "I wish I could get out of this dress," she muttered.

"Be my guest, Granger," he smirked.

She simply glared at him and he chuckled.

"Seriously though, you can wear something of mine if you want."

She looked at him in silence for a moment before she replied. "Please."

He smiled to himself as he turned and began to rummage through a drawer in his small dresser. He picked out a pair of black shorts and a long-sleeved, white shirt with the Slytherin House crest on it that he usually wore to bed. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she answered quietly as she stood.

He watched her survey the room once more. "You can change here. The door is locked, and I won't even look," he offered.

She looked at him sceptically and to show her that he wasn't lying, he fell back onto his bed and with a lazy flick of his wand; the curtains around him closed and completely blocked Granger from his view. But of course, he was sorted into Slytherin House for a reason. He opened up the curtains just enough so that he could sneak a peek. Her back was to him and she was awkwardly pulling down the zipper of her dress. All that he could see was her wild hair and the creamy, pale, perfect skin of her back, but that was enough to do him in. He swallowed harshly and looked up at the canopy of his bed.

"So, why did you leave Slughorn's party so early?" He asked to distract himself.

"Cormac was driving me crazy."

"Ah, yes," he sneered. "I heard that you were going with _McLaggen_."

"I only asked him to annoy Ron," she huffed.

He chuckled, "Maybe you were sorted into the wrong house Granger."

The curtains around his bed were roughly pulled back by one irritated girl. "I was not!"

He didn't have a witty response to throw back at her because he was too busy staring. She had looked incredible in her pink dress but something about seeing her in his clothes made him want to ravage her. The shirt was too big and the shorts were too long but still…

"I put my dress and shoes in your trunk, I hope you don't mind," she said shyly.

He shook his head. "No, that's fine."

He rolled over onto his side and made room for her to lie down on his bed. He noticed that Crookshanks had disappeared…he was really starting to love that cat. She tentatively lay down next to him and he used his wand to close his curtains once again and cast a few spells around his bed for privacy. He unlocked the dormitory door for his mates before he focused solely on her.

In all of the fantasies that he had conjured since late September involving Granger, he had never pictured this scenario. She was laid out before him on his bed…in his clothes. Her hair was spread out on his pillow, her feet were bare, and he could tell that she wasn't wearing a bra. He could count every single endearing freckle on her face and her legs and lips looked far too enticing.

He quickly realized that he had wasted far too much time already. He leaned down with the intention of kissing her when he felt the tip of her wand pressing against his throat. He had been in this position with her ten and three-quarter inches of vine wood once before, in their third year, and he really hoped that the outcome would not be the same.

"What are you doing?" He asked uneasily.

"What are _you_ doing?" She answered in a slightly high-pitched voice.

"Um, kissing you, what does it bloody well look like?"

She didn't reply but she didn't lower her wand either.

"What?" He began incredulously. "You can kiss me whenever you like but I can't kiss you." She was silent and wide eyed. She slowly lowered her wand and he sat up with an annoyed huff. "Okay, I get it; I'm another pawn in your game with Weasley."

"No, you're not," she protested.

"Well, I don't appreciate being used Granger. I get that from almost everyone else in my life, I don't need it from you too!"

"I'm not using you!" She argued.

"Right, because Gryffindor's little princess would never do such a thing," he said sarcastically. "Well, you're on _my_ bed! In _my_ clothes! And _you_ kissed me not that long ago! So, if you're not using me than what are you doing?"

"I don't know," she answered quietly. "It's complicated."

He laughed without humour. "Yeah, I'm sure."

That comment instantly triggered a change in her demeanour. He watched her bristle and her stare turned cold. She sat up as well and straightened her spine. "Well then, what are you doing with me? It's clear that you only want me because you can't have me."

"I can't have you?" He repeated in disbelief. Even as a little boy, he had never done well with being told that he couldn't have something.

"Yeah," she responded a little breathlessly. "I am everything you're supposed to look down on. I am the complete opposite of the girl that you've always been told that you _should_ like."

He leaned in until their noses were practically touching and tangled one hand in her hair. "I've never been very good at being told what to do but that's not why I want you," he whispered.

He pressed his lips to hers but she quickly pulled away. "Malfoy, wait…"

"Just admit that you like spending time with me, and you definitely like kissing me," he grinned.

She blushed. "I do…but you know how I feel about Ron and…"

He nodded in understanding because he did know how she felt about Weasley, but it wasn't something that he liked to think about. Draco knew that he was far from being what someone would call a nice guy, he was definitely not Harry Potter, but he seemed to be able to treat Granger a lot better than Weasley. He hadn't made her cry this year at least.

"Yeah, I'm unfortunately aware," he replied.

"So you know how confused I feel right now?" She pleaded.

He nodded once again. "I do but you're what I need right now and I know that I'm what you need too," he told her confidently.

She didn't seem to be able to come up with any further arguments and he took advantage of her silence. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lowered her down onto his bed. He kissed her eagerly and she responded in kind. She wrapped both of her arms around his shoulders and hitched one leg up over his hips.

"Merlin, Granger," he chuckled as he started to kiss down her neck.

She was such a vixen and she didn't even realize the effect that she had on people.

He nipped at her neck with his teeth and she moaned as she impatiently tugged on his black jumper. Well, if she wanted him to take his clothes off than he would gladly oblige. He quickly pulled the garment over his head and tossed it aside. Her eyes didn't even linger on his Dark Mark and he was shocked when she pulled off her top as well.

"You are just full of surprises," he teased.

She smiled seductively before guiding his mouth back down onto hers. He pressed their bare chests together and groaned at the feel of her feminine form. He longed to put his mouth on every inch of her naked body and he was about to start. He abruptly broke their kiss and latched onto one of her breasts. They were not large by any means but they were pert and he had never seen a girl who had more beautiful skin. He lapped at her nipple and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders.

"Malfoy," she moaned in pleasure.

"Draco," he corrected.

"What?"

He raised his head and smirked at her confusion. "My name is Draco. I would much prefer it if you screamed and moaned my first name."

"Draco," she purred.

He growled at her blatant teasing and thrust himself hard against her center. His erection was practically painful and he needed to show her what she did to him. "You drive me mad, Granger."

"Are you going to call me Hermione?" She asked smiling.

"Potter and Weasley call you Hermione. I like calling you Granger."

"I kind of like it too," she admitted as colour filled her cheeks.

He couldn't get over how exquisite she looked, naked from the waist up with flushed skin, wild hair, and large, dark eyes. She was making it very difficult for him to control himself.

It was the last night before Christmas holiday and here, in his dormitory four-poster, did not allow him the time and freedom that he wanted to take her for the first time but he certainly wanted to do other things tonight.

"I'm going to taste you," he whispered in her ear.

He kissed down her throat, across her chest, and down her flat belly before he pulled down the shorts that she had borrowed from him. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw that she was wearing simple white, cotton knickers…innocent yet sexy. He nudged his nose against her and inhaled deeply. She smelled exquisite too.

"Draco, wait a second," she began apprehensively.

He raised his head to look up at her. "What? Did Krum not do this?"

"No, he did," she said embarrassed. "But I never…um…I don't…I think that I have difficulty…um…having an orgasm…so don't be disappointed or anything if I…"

He interrupted her ranting with a scoff. He had never been the best boyfriend to Pansy but he had never left her unsatisfied in the bedroom. He was an unselfish and talented lover. He prided himself on that particular skill and it seemed as if the world's biggest Quidditch star was seriously lacking in that department.

"Just lie back and relax," he told her with a confident grin.

He rid her of her cute knickers and pressed a soft kiss to her center. She threaded her fingers through his hair, wrapped her legs around his shoulders, and was writhing in pleasure in no time.

"Oh…Oh god Draco," she moaned.

"Are you close?" He asked excitedly.

She bit down hard on her bottom lip and nodded. "Uh huh," she panted.

He smiled smugly to himself before sending her over the edge. She was not a screamer like Pansy. Her back arched off of his bed, her legs tightened around him, and she let out the sexiest, breathiest moan of his name.

"Draco, that was incredible."

He replied cheekily, "You taste incredible."

He pulled her knickers back up and placed a kiss on her navel. He kissed his way up her torso, towards her lips, but stopped when he reached a scar below her right breast. He gently touched it with the tips of his fingers and she shivered.

"Is this the scar from Dolohov's curse?" He asked curiously.

"Yes," she answered self-consciously.

He kissed it reverently. "Don't worry, you're perfect."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and cradled her body to his. He kissed her hungrily but unhurriedly because he fully intended on snogging her and exploring her body for the rest of the night.

**A/N:** Lot of stuff going on in this chapter! Please leave a review! :)


	20. The Lioness and the Serpent

**A/N: **Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 20 – The Lioness and the Serpent**

Severus Snape closely monitored the students boarding the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmeade Station. All of the children seemed excited to be going home for the holiday and even Draco was wearing a smile, which surprised him. The boy had been rather forlorn and sulky the past couple of weeks and he hadn't had the opportunity to speak with him about his mood, and of course, Legilimency would no longer work on him.

He approached the group of sixth-year Slytherins that Draco socialized with. "Mr. Malfoy, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Draco nodded and he led the boy further down the platform where they would not be overheard.

"It's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would," Draco whispered immediately.

Severus shook his head. "That is not what I wanted to discuss."

"Oh," he responded in surprise.

"How are you?"

Draco's features morphed into those of confusion. "I'm fine, sir."

"I've noticed that you haven't been quite yourself lately. You're wandering around at night and barely eating. You've made a number of visits to the hospital wing. I understand that you're worried about your mother and that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but you're being incautious. The act is crucial," he stated firmly.

Draco nodded. "I know, sir. I will be more careful."

"I had hoped that your tutoring sessions with Miss Granger would take some pressure off of you but if they're not working then—"

"No, they are!" Draco cut him off quickly. "They are helping! I feel better than I did at the beginning of the term."

Severus narrowed his eyes and stared into Draco's. As he expected, the boy's mind was blank and inaccessible to him. Draco's Occlumency skills now rivalled those of his own but he was suspicious of Draco's reaction to the subject of Miss Granger. He would have to ask him about it after Christmas…he would use the bond of their Unbreakable Vow if he had to.

"And how are things with Potter?"

"They're continuing to go well, sir," Draco answered slowly.

"Okay," he replied. "Don't do anything foolish over the holiday. Be very cautious and I will see you at some point before term resumes."

"Yes, sir, you have a good holiday as well," Draco said loudly with a smile as he began to walk back towards his friends.

"What was that about?" Severus heard Theodore Nott ask.

"Quidditch," Draco responded without hesitation.

Severus had to admit that overall his godson was handling his tasks and responsibilities a lot better than he thought he would. It seemed as though Draco had grown up overnight. But his most difficult test to date would come over the Christmas holiday, when he was sure to be in close proximity to the suspicious Bellatrix Lestrange.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Ron sat across from Harry in a train cart that was occupied by just the two of them and listened with rapt attention as his best friend told him of what he had just overheard between Snape and Malfoy while under the cover of his Invisibility Cloak. Both he and Harry were still sceptical about whether they could be trusted.

"What did he mean by 'the act is crucial'?" Ron asked confused.

Harry shook his head. "I dunno, but I don't like it, especially if it means he's acting around us. There might be ways around this Unbreakable Vow that he's figured out."

"An Unbreakable Vow is dangerous magic, Harry. Dad went mental when he found out that Fred and George tried to trick me into making one when I was five. I don't think even Malfoy is stupid enough to mess around with that." He thought that, at heart, Malfoy was a coward. He would be too scared to tamper with an Unbreakable Vow.

"What about what Malfoy was saying about how something is going to work, it's just taking longer than he expected?" Harry pointed out enthusiastically. "It must be about his mission from Voldemort, the one that we can't know about," he grumbled.

"I think that we should keep a closer eye on him when we get back to Hogwarts."

Harry nodded in agreement.

Malfoy also seemed quite keen to continue studying with Hermione and that bothered Ron. The git was probably just copying all her work so that he wouldn't have to do anything. They were in all of the same classes after all.

"So," Ron began awkwardly as he thought of a happier topic of conversation. "Did I tell you that Charlie changed his mind and he's coming home for Christmas?"

Harry shook his head. "No, you didn't. That's great!"

"Yeah, Mum is really excited. That'll be the whole family home for the holiday…well, except for Percy."

The subject of Percy and how he had pretty much disowned himself from the Weasley family was still a sore spot for him. He didn't like to think about his arrogant, over-ambitious brother. But what annoyed him the most was how upset his mother was about it all.

This time it was Harry who searched for a safe talking point.

"So, where's Lavender?"

"With Parvati," Ron answered quickly.

He doubted that Harry actually wanted to talk about Lavender now since he didn't want to talk to him about her any other time. In Harry's defense, whenever he was around, Ron and Lavender were usually snogging and completely oblivious to everything around them. Well, to be honest, the biggest part of Ron's relationship with Lavender was snogging, and he wasn't complaining, he _was_ a sixteen-year-old bloke. She could be a tad bit clingy and whiney but she was very enthusiastic about her affections and she had a great body. She let him feel her breasts under her jumper. The first time he did it had been a little awkward but he was getting better. Also, she had recently taken an interest in stroking him through his trousers and that was unbelievable!

However, he wasn't clouded by his hormones so much that he could not remember the real reason that he had started snogging Lavender in the first place. He had just wanted to get back at Hermione. But Lavender laughed at all of his jokes, thought that he was a brilliant Keeper, and made him feel good-looking and attractive in a way that Hermione had never been able to do.

He doubted that it would last but things with Lavender were going great for him so far and Hermione certainly seemed on edge, or so he had thought until he heard that she was now going out with McLaggen.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and avoided making eye contact with Harry. "So, is Hermione really going out with McLaggen?"

"I don't think so," Harry answered. "Their date at Slughorn's party didn't go that well."

"Oh." Ron instantly perked up before frowning at another thought. "Lav said that she didn't sleep in her bed last night."

Harry chuckled. "It's Hermione, she probably just went to bed early and then got up early and Lavender didn't even notice."

Ron laughed because Harry's reasoning seemed like the only plausible explanation. "Yeah, you're probably right."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione patrolled the corridors of the Hogwarts Express with a bright smile on her face. She figured that a night of multiple orgasms would do that to a girl. She had done the unthinkable last night. She had spent the night in the Slytherin dungeons and had snuck into her own dormitory in Gryffindor Tower very early this morning covered by a Disillusionment Charm and with her dress and shoes in hand.

She had been one hundred percent honest when she told Draco Malfoy that she was not using him. She liked him…a lot…but that still didn't change how she felt about Ron. Like she had said, she was confused and things were complicated but she had never felt more carefree and she couldn't help but think that he was right, he is what she needs right now. She needed someone who was just as willing to spend hours talking and listening to her as he was to spend hours kissing her.

They hadn't even had sex last night and her body still felt like it was on fire. His hands, fingers, and lips were so soft and they had felt wonderful all over her. Viktor had been a wonderful, attentive lover but she had had trouble reaching her climax…but not last night. She had felt so sensitive and turned on by Draco's lightest touch and had been surprised by her own responsiveness. It had almost felt like she hadn't had any control over her own actions, which explained how quickly he had gotten her naked.

She had loved wearing his clothes with his clean, pinewood smell surrounding her. She had loved how confident he seemed in their connection and chemistry. She had loved his long, slow, eager kisses and gentle caresses.

She had discovered his lithe, strong body last night. His arms, legs, and torso were definably muscled from Quidditch training and hours of intensive duelling. His skin was so soft and his facial features so symmetrical that it was almost feminine yet it only served to make him more attractive. He had very little body hair, just a faint smattering of pale blonde hair on his chest and around his navel. The Dark Mark was the only thing marring his body and it astonished her how little attention she had paid it.

She hadn't been naïve enough to believe everything that he had said in the heat of the moment but his words about her scar still caused her cheeks to flush and her stomach to flutter.

"_Don't worry, you're perfect."_

Draco made her feel sexy…and she had officially started referring to him as Draco…she knew that she was in so much trouble. She was logical and reasonable, and she thought through every decision that she had ever made…besides this one. This time she was purely acting on feelings and instinct.

She yelped as she was abruptly pulled into a train cart by two strong arms.

"Draco," she said breathlessly as her hands settled on his chest. "What are you doing?"

He just smirked as he locked the door behind her and pulled down all the blinds with his wand.

"You left this morning without waking me."

"I know but I needed to get back to my dormitory," she explained. And she had been surrounded my sleeping Slytherins, her fight or flight response had kicked in.

"And you took my clothes," he grinned.

She smiled. "They're comfortable, even despite the Slytherin Crest," she teased.

"Well, you can keep them. You look better in them than I do."

He pressed her against the train cart door and kissed her passionately. When he pulled away, he looked down at her with a bright smile. He looked so handsome and relaxed.

"You should do that more often," she commented.

"What? Kiss you? Well, I'll be glad to," he laughed.

She laughed too but shook her head. "No, that part is great but I mean that you should smile more often."

"I do smile," he argued.

"No," she laughed. "You smirk, you grin, and you sneer, you don't smile."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

He claimed her mouth again to stop her from talking. She ran one hand through his baby fine hair and her other arm wrapped around his shoulders. His hands slipped underneath her jumper and tickled the skin of her back. She sighed into his mouth and tried to pull him even closer to her.

He dragged his lips down to her jaw and murmured, "I can't get at your neck with this bloody scarf in the way."

"I'm only wearing it because you absolutely covered my neck in love bites," she told him sternly. She was not surprised that Draco Malfoy was one of those boys who liked to 'leave his mark', but that hadn't quelled her annoyance when she had looked in the mirror this morning.

He grinned unapologetically. "You're a witch, use a Concealment Charm."

"My parents don't approve of me using magic to solve all of my problems," she explained.

He removed her scarf and tossed it onto one of the nearby seats. "Well, that's fine with me." He smirked at the marks on her neck and promptly set to work on creating more.

She pressed her hips against his as he kissed and licked the one spot that drove her crazy, the curve where her neck met her shoulder. His tongue could do no wrong. "We shouldn't be doing this," she said unconvincingly. "We're Prefects and…"

He chuckled at her weak argument and deftly unbuttoned her jeans. "You can't seem to resist me, Granger."

He infuriated her when he talked like that but he was right. Why wasn't she able to say no to him? It certainly hadn't been a problem prior to this year. He had a strange pull over her, and he knew exactly how to play her body.

"Draco," she gasped into his ear as her nails dug into his scalp.

"Yes, Granger?" He asked teasingly. "Tell me what you want."

She was prim, proper, sensible Hermione Granger, a Hogwarts Prefect, and she couldn't believe what she was about to say.

"I want you to make me come with your fingers."

And she couldn't believe what she was about to do on the Hogwarts Express.

Draco was bringing out a naughty, adventurous side that she didn't even know she had.

He grinned mischievously and she saw the tell-tale sparkle in his grey-blue eyes. "My pleasure." He pushed her jeans down over her bum and slipped his right hand inside her knickers.

She gasped and tightened her hand around his neck when he slipped one digit inside of her. "God, Draco," she panted. She began to pull his grey oxford out of his trousers as she pushed him back into a seat. She straddled his lap and hungrily kissed him.

He chuckled against her mouth. "I can't get enough of you, Granger. You are so sexy."

"Stop saying that," she reprimanded. She knew that right now, with one of his hands in her knickers and the other on her arse, was not the time to have a conversation but she always had something to say at the most inappropriate times.

"Why?" He asked curiously. "Can't take a compliment?"

"No," she answered. Viktor had called her beautiful but being called sexy was completely different. She liked it but it was slightly embarrassing. "It's embarrassing."

He chuckled once again; he was in a very good mood today. He placed a quick kiss on one of her flushed cheeks. "Well, get used to it," he told her assertively.

His fingers continued their ministrations and she threw her head back and moaned. All thoughts of embarrassment left her mind as he kissed down her throat and his free hand started to knead her breast.

"Come on, Granger," he encouraged. "Moan my name."

It wasn't long before she was doing just that and then draping her body over his, with her head resting on his shoulder, because she felt boneless. "God, Draco," she said in amazement as she kissed just below his ear. "You're brilliant at that."

"I know," he grinned arrogantly.

She rolled her eyes but didn't have the energy to hit him. "You're a prat."

"I didn't hear you complaining though," he taunted.

She raised her head and placed a hand on the side of his face. She traced his lips with her thumb before kissing him softly. "I certainly was not complaining." She kissed him again as both of her hands trailed down his torso. She unbuckled his belt and heard his sharp intake of breath. She slowly sank down onto her knees and bit down on her bottom lip. She smiled shyly up at him and the look of pure desire on his face was unmistakeable.

She pulled his impressive erection out of his boxers and couldn't believe that she was about to do this on the Hogwarts Express either.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco smiled and contentedly lay back in his seat with Granger lying on top of him. He placed a hand under her chin and tilted her head up so that he could kiss her. He couldn't stop smiling and laughing, he couldn't ever remember being in a better mood. He had never felt this way around anyone. He had never felt this way _about_ anyone, and certainly not a girl.

He couldn't get enough of her, he really couldn't. Her skin. Her hair. Her legs. Her voice. Her lips. Her arse. Her _mouth_. _Everything_.

"We should go," she said quietly.

He nodded reluctantly because he didn't want to go but knew that they were getting close to King's Cross Station. "Yeah, we should."

She slowly got up off of him and he got to his feet as well. They both righted their clothes and she had just put her scarf back on and was attempting to tame her hair when he grabbed her by the waist and kissed her again. She always appeared so intimidating and formidable but she was really small and petite. She was _cute_.

"Have a good holiday, Granger."

"You too," she replied breathlessly.

He smirked; he loved the effect that he had on her. He started to push her towards the door. He was going to start taking her clothes off again if she didn't leave soon. "Go," he laughed.

"Okay, bye," she stumbled out the door with a small giggle that couldn't have been more endearing.

She seemed to be the only girl that could _giggle_ without annoying him.

He smoothed out his oxford and ran a hand through his hair. He waited another few minutes, long enough for Granger to be out of sight, before he exited the train cart. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no one was lingering in the corridor waiting to catch him. It occurred to him that this would be what Snape considered foolish but he felt like he could easily explain his physical dealings with Granger as just another Slytherin conquest.

He walked to the end of the train towards the loo. He sneered at who was in front of him in line, it was McLaggen and another seventh-year Gryffindor boy, but neither had noticed his arrival.

"She was such a tease all night," McLaggen complained.

The other boy laughed, "Ouch. I thought that you said you were definitely going to shag her?"

"Well," McLaggen grinned cockily, "it's only a matter of time isn't it? She was practically begging for it when she asked me out. Granger isn't as big of a prude as everyone thinks she is."

Draco clutched his wand tightly in his right hand and clenched his teeth. He wanted to skin McLaggen for being a pompous, gossiping arsehole.

The other boy laughed once more before a Ravenclaw emerged from the bathroom and he anxiously hurried inside leaving Draco and McLaggen alone in a vacant and obscured part of the train.

Draco quickly pushed the older boy up against a nearby wall and held his wand to his throat. "You have no business talking like that," he told him angrily.

"What are you talking about Malfoy?" The Gryffindor asked confused.

McLaggen was much larger than Draco but size didn't seem to matter at the moment.

"Stay away from Granger and stop talking about her. We both know that she wouldn't touch you with a ten foot wand."

McLaggen's eyes widened in surprise as the reason became clear why he was being manhandled by an irate Slytherin. "Why do you care?"

Draco punched him in the abdomen…hard…and he doubled over in pain.

He took a deep breath and pressed the hand still carrying his wand against his forehead. "Now, _that_ was foolish," he said quietly to himself. He had to correct his mistake so he pointed his wand at McLaggen and muttered, "_Obliviate_." He erased McLaggen's memory of their little altercation and left everything else untouched…well, except for one little detail.

The large boy slowly stood up and looked around for a reason as to why he had been hunched over in the first place. His friend emerged from the toilet and gave him an odd look. "Are you alright, Cormac?"

McLaggen nodded weakly. "Yeah, I'm fine…but I don't think I want to chase Granger anymore."

The other Gryffindor boy laughed as if he had been expecting it all along. "Yeah, I figured," he replied before he set off down the corridor.

McLaggen went into the wizard's room and Draco smiled smugly to himself.

**A/N: **How can you not love Draco? lol. Please review!

Note: I will be taking a break from updating for a couple of weeks because I am very busy with school at the moment. But do not fret and hold tight! :)


	21. The Present from No One

****Disclaimer:** **I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 21 - The Present from No One**

Draco walked through the front doors of Malfoy Manor with the house elf, Blinky, that had picked him up from King's Cross Station at his side. The other house elf, Noddy, that had been sent for him had already returned with his trunk.

"Mother?" He called out. "I'm home!"

He heard noise from above before his two large dogs came barrelling over the staircase and bounded towards him.

"Hey boys," he laughed as Silas and Owen licked his hands and vied for this attention. They jumped happily around him and he tried his best to pet both of them. "I hope that you've been keeping Mother company," he told his dogs quietly. He really didn't like the idea of his mother all alone in this large house.

"I'll go tell Mistress young Master is home," Blinky squeaked before he disappeared with a 'crack'.

Draco spent the next few minutes trying to get his two Chocolate Labs to settle down. "Okay, sit boys," he chuckled. Silas and Owen sat obediently but continued to wag their tails excitedly.

Draco raised his head in time to see his mother descending the staircase. He smiled brightly because she looked beautiful, elegant, and completely graceful and he knew that she was trying her hardest to keep up appearances for the societal wizarding world. She crossed the room almost at a run and wrapped her arms tightly around him. His mother was tall but she was still a head shorter than him and so she rested her chin on his chest.

"Oh, Draco," she whispered. "It's so good to see you." She pulled back and placed both of her hands on his face so that she could get a good look at him. "My baby boy," she said quietly to herself.

He could see tears in her eyes and it could either stem from the fact that she was happy to see him or that he looked so much like his father that it hurt her. "How are you, Mother?" He asked cautiously.

"Better now," she smiled. "How are you? You look a little pale. Are you hungry? Let's go to the kitchen."

She grabbed his hand and led him through the house towards the kitchen. He was quite hungry and he wasn't going to argue with her anyway. He was going to let her fuss over him as much as she needed to.

"What are you in the mood for?" She asked with a happy smile.

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter." His mother fixed him with a hard stare and he laughed. "How about a sandwich and some chips?"

She smiled again and started bustling around the kitchen. His mother didn't normally cook, that was house elves' work, but she seemed enthused to have a task.

"So, tell me everything about your term so far? How are your classes? How's Quidditch practice? How's Severus? Theodore? Daphne? I was thinking about inviting Theodore and the Greengrasses over for Christmas dinner."

Draco chuckled to himself and ran a hand through his hair. His mother was asking him questions as if they hadn't corresponded multiple times a week since he had gone back to Hogwarts. She knew all about his studies, his Quidditch practice schedule and how he had been sick for the season opener, and he also kept her updated on his closest friends.

"Everything and everyone is good, Mother."

"And what about…?" She trailed off but he knew what she was referring to.

"Difficult but it's coming along," he answered honestly. "How is Borgin?"

"He's doing what he's told," she replied sternly. "Oh, I looked into that locket, the one that belonged to Salazar Slytherin." He nodded for her to continue. "Burke purchased it from a young woman in 1926 for ten Galleons. He sold it to a rich collector years later."

Draco pondered this new information and had a fleeting moment of pity for Borgin because his mother could be quite intimidating and feisty. It sort of reminded him of another witch he knew…

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone Apparating into their home. He clutched his wand reflexively and looked questioningly at his mother. They had powerful security wards surrounding their house but one could never be too careful. He was more surprised than he should have been when his Aunt Bellatrix strolled through the doorway.

"Draco," she cooed before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"How are you Aunt Bella?" He inquired politely.

"Better," she smiled sinisterly and he was instantly worried. "How is your mission coming along?"

"It's on track."

"Perfect," she smirked. "Cissy, you raised such a good boy."

His mother looked at him, then at her sister, before she responded confidently, "I know I did."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Harry was thoroughly enjoying his Christmas holiday. It was nice to be in a house full of Weasleys. Mr. Weasley was working late hours at the Ministry but Mrs. Weasley's cooking was to die for, Fred and George were taking the mickey out of Ron for having a girlfriend, Charlie was regaling them with stories about dragons, and he enjoyed spending some time with Ginny without Dean being in the picture.

On Christmas Eve, all of the Weasleys, Harry, Fleur, and Remus Lupin gathered in the living room for egg-nog and biscuits, and to listen to the Christmas special on the wireless. Lupin was chatting with Mr. Weasley about things at the Ministry while Fred and George played Exploding Snap, and he and Ginny poked fun at Ron for watching Bill and Fleur so closely.

"Maybe he's hoping to pick up tips," Ginny snickered.

Harry laughed along with her and tried not to stare too much at the way the Christmas lights around the room reflected off of her long, red hair.

He and Ron awoke on Christmas morning and excitedly delved into their presents. Harry almost fell off of his camp bed laughing when Ron opened Lavender's gift. It was a gold chain with the words 'My Sweetheart' dangling from it. Harry's presents were a lot less embarrassing and a lot more enjoyable.

The only damper on his holiday came with the arrival of two unexpected guests, Percy and Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister for Magic, during Christmas dinner. It was quickly realized by everyone at the table that Percy did not come to see his family and that the Minister only wanted a word with Harry Potter.

Harry was incredibly angry that Scrimgeour had interrupted time with the only family that Harry had to ask him to become the face of the Ministry…because people thought that he was the "Chosen One"…which he was, but Scrimgeour didn't need to know that. The Minister had accused him of being "Dumbledore's man through and through" and he had proudly stated that he was. He considered that to be a compliment.

In the Burrow's attic, later that night, when it was just him and Ron, Harry revealed the content of the conversation with the Minister for Magic and they continued to bounce around theories about Malfoy. Harry decided that he would tell Dumbledore everything when they all returned to Hogwarts.

"I need to find out what Malfoy is up to," he repeated and Ron nodded.

Two identical, redheaded figures Apparated into the room and Ron fell off of his bed in surprise. "Can't you two just knock like normal people?" He bellowed.

Fred and George sat down on either side of Harry and grinned.

"Where's the fun in that, little brother?" Fred jested.

Ron grumbled as he clambered back on top of his Chudley Cannons sheets.

"Anyway," George began, "we have interesting news."

Harry's curiosity kicked in. "Yeah?"

"Mm hmm," Fred nodded. "We just overheard Dad and Remus talking and there's going to be an Order meeting here tomorrow night. It seems the Burrow is the new Order of the Phoenix headquarters."

"Wicked," Ron stated in awe.

"Will Dumbledore be here?" Harry asked enthusiastically.

"Don't know mate, but yours truly and George will be sitting in on the meeting. We're of age and out of Hogwarts, we're in the Order now."

"That's not fair," Ron whined.

Harry wholeheartedly agreed. As far as he was concerned, he, Ron, and Hermione…and well, now Malfoy…were as good as Order members. Maybe he would be able to convince Lupin and Mr. Weasley that they _deserved_ to hear what they were talking about.

"They think it's a good time to have a meeting," George continued, "with it being a holiday and everyone in the house, Charlie's home from Romania, and Remus is back above ground. And Tonks will be here, which will make Mum happy after today's Percy disaster."

Harry chuckled. Fred and George had told him and Ron earlier that Mrs. Weasley had been inviting Tonks around the house more and more lately in an effort to shift Bill's attention from Fleur onto her. Harry didn't think that it was working judging by how openly affectionate Bill was with the young French woman. The couple looked smitten.

"Charlie is thrilled too," George added.

"Him and Tonks were friends when they went to Hogwarts," Fred explained. "I think that Mum is trying to set her up with the wrong Weasley."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked confused.

"Well," Fred grinned. "The way that Bill tells it, Tonks has been the only girl that Charlie ever found more interesting than a dragon."

"Did they ever go out?" Harry inquired.

"Nah," Fred answered. "But," he grinned slyly, "lots of people who we think are going to _finally_ get together, never do."

Harry chuckled as he watched Ron bristle and narrow his eyes at his older brother. "What is that supposed to mean?" He asked defensively.

Fred laughed, "Just that we're impressed that you've actually managed to find a girl that wants to snog you, but we always thought you liked _bookworms_."

Fred and George had been teasing Ron about Hermione for years but Harry had never seen Ron turn so red. "Well...I-I don't…I m-mean," Ron stuttered.

"Afraid you'll be compared to Krum? The thought must be terrifying. _You_ being compared to a world class Quidditch player who's rolling in the Galleons and could have any bird he wants, enough to intimidate any bloke."

Ron awkwardly fiddled with his bed sheets and mumbled, "I'm dating Lavender."

"Yes," Fred nodded. "And Hermione goes for talented, rich, good-looking blokes, I see your problem. Maybe I'll ask her out," he teased.

"Don't! You're my brother!" Ron erupted as his ears turned red in fury.

Fred laughed loudly and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Well, our work is done. George, let's go."

George smiled and deflected, "Yes, like we were saying, Tonks has been rather depressed lately and maybe Charlie will cheer her up. 'Night boys!"

And they both Disapparated with a 'pop'.

"What gits," Ron huffed as he stared at his bedside table and the God awful necklace that Lavender had bought him. "Like Hermione would ever date Fred," he said more to himself than Harry.

Harry smiled as he got his bed ready. His best friend's feelings for their shared female friend were becoming more and more obvious, regardless of the fact that Ron was dating Lavender Brown.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione was helping her mother wash the dishes from Christmas supper with a smile on her face. She had had quiet Christmas celebrations with her parents just like she had wanted. Yesterday night they had visited her grandmother and this morning they had taken their time opening Christmas presents before eating breakfast and watching the telly. She had mostly received lovely clothes and books for Christmas and Crookshanks was positively delighted with the new toys that her parents had gotten him.

It was nice to be reminded that she had a life and people who loved her outside of the wizarding world. Since the return of Lord Voldemort, she hadn't spent as much time with her parents as she would have liked, out of her concern for Harry.

She had just started asking her mother about how their dental practice was going when her father called out from the living room.

"It seems that we missed a present under the tree!"

"Who is it for, Roger?" Her mother asked.

Her father walked into the kitchen holding a box. "Hmm, there's no tag," he said puzzled. "It must have fallen off."

Hermione stared at the box curiously. It was emerald green with a silver bow. "Open it Dad."

Her father laid the box on the kitchen table, pulled off the bow, and lifted the top. Hermione hovered over her father's shoulder and eyed the box's contents, inside was a set of paints and charcoal pencils, a small box of peanut butter filled chocolates, and a leather bound journal waiting to be written in.

She knew instantly that this present was intended for her and despite the fact that there wasn't a tag or card; it could only be from one person. She had only told one person about her love of art, peanut butter, and her appreciation for journal writing.

"It's for me," she stated quietly as she reached for the box.

"Who is it from?" Her father probed.

She felt her cheeks flush. "Just someone from school."

"A boy?" Her father asked suspiciously.

Her mother giggled excitedly. "Is it from Ronald?"

Hermione rolled her eyes but still continued to blush. Her parents were so nosy and embarrassing. "It's not important." She picked the box up into her arms and walked as fast as she could to her upstairs bedroom with her mother still calling after her.

"Is it from Viktor?"

"No Mum!"

She closed her bedroom door and placed the box on her bed. She bit her lip and looked down at it as if she were expecting it to explode, or worse. She hadn't gotten anything for Draco for Christmas and now she felt guilty. She would have to brave the Boxing Day sales tomorrow to buy something for him. But his presents were thoughtful and sentimental and anything that she picked up for him would feel false in comparison.

Who knew that Draco Malfoy could be so thoughtful?

She covered her mouth to stifle the giggle that threatened to escape because the answer to that question was absolutely absurd. Apparently, _she_ was the only one that knew that he could be so thoughtful.

**A/N: **Merry Christmas everyone! Please leave a review! :)


	22. The Order of the Phoenix Meeting

**A/N:** Thanks for reviewing! This is a long and important chapter! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 22 - The Order of the Phoenix Meeting**

Harry and Ron hung around the Burrow's kitchen and tried to appear out of sight of Mrs. Weasley, who was anxiously bustling around the house. They knew that as soon as she spotted them she would send them straight to the attic and they would have no hope of being allowed to listen to the meeting. They had learned that Dumbledore would not be attending the meeting tonight but Harry was comforted by the presence of Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. The two talented Aurors were already in the living room with Mr. Weasley, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, the twins, Lupin, and Mundungus Fletcher.

There was a knock on the back door and Charlie emerged from the living room to answer it. "Who is it?" He asked through the door.

A brisk reply came quickly. "Tonks."

Charlie grinned at Harry and Ron before asking his question. Each Order member had to prove their identity by answering a question that only they would know the answer to. It was just another precaution in these dangerous times.

"In our fifth year, how long were you given detention for morphing into Professor McGonagall and trying to teach a first-year Transfiguration class?"

"Three months! Now let me in Charlie Weasley!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Charlie threw open the door with a bright smile on his face and immediately swept his old classmate into a tight hug.

"You impersonated McGonagall?" Ron asked with a laugh.

"On a dare from your brother," Tonks answered when Charlie had set her back down on the floor.

In all the excitement of Charlie and Tonks' reunion, Harry had almost missed a familiar brunette stepping out from behind Tonks.

"Hermione! You're here?"

"Tonks picked me up," she explained with a smile. She accepted Harry's hug and kissed him on the cheek. She acknowledged Ron with an awkward smile, a curt nod, and the use of his full first name.

Harry frowned, so their time apart was not helping to patch up their friendship. But Hermione's sudden appearance at the Burrow gave Harry hope that they would be allowed into the Order meeting. Otherwise, why was Tonks given instructions to fetch Hermione?

Charlie and Tonks started telling him, Ron, and Hermione some tales of their school pranks and he caught Lupin's deep frown out of the corner of his eye. He found that reaction to be quite curious but didn't think anything of it.

"But it seemed as if I was always the one that got in trouble," Tonks grinned. "Charlie here had a Prefect badge to protect."

"Hey," Charlie laughed. "I was just always better at running away than you were."

"Well, that hasn't changed," Tonks admitted.

Another knock sounded on the door. "It's Snape!"

"I'll get it," Lupin offered.

Harry's former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher spoke quietly to the door and Snape must have given the appropriate answer because he appeared in the doorway in his black robes.

"Minerva is unable to make it," Snape announced.

Lupin nodded. "I figured she would need to stay at Hogwarts."

A tall blonde walked into the Burrow behind Snape and Harry and Ron shouted in unison.

"Malfoy?"

"Potter. Weasley," he nodded.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco greeted Potter and Weasley and then resumed scrutinizing the strangest house that he had ever set foot in. So, this was where the Weasleys lived. The house was an odd shape, had numerous stories, and was built in the middle of nowhere. Well, at least their property was big enough for a game of Quidditch.

He tuned out of Snape and Lupin's conversation after Lupin said that Dumbledore had explained "his situation" to the Order. He really wished that people would stop calling it "his situation", like he was suffering from an illness or something. Apparently, Snape had convinced Dumbledore that if he was able to sit in on a Death Eater meeting than he should be able to sit in on an Order of the Phoenix meeting. This also allowed for the presence of Potter, Weasley, and Granger as well.

His eyes returned to Potter and Weasley and where they stood with Granger and two others. He knew that he couldn't look at Granger for too long or his eyes would never leave her, so he observed the two other people standing in the kitchen. A young man in his twenties, only a few inches taller than Granger, with shaggy red hair stood laughing with his outrageously muscled arms folded across his broad chest. He had to be one of Weasley's brothers, maybe the great Seeker that everyone spoke of so often. He was talking to a tall, young woman with short brown hair. She was wearing knee-high boots, black Muggle jeans, and a navy blue jumper. She had a familiar smile and dark eyes that he had definitely seen before. She turned towards him and he had to hold back a gasp. This woman was definitely a Black and he knew her name instantly. After all, only one immediate descendant of the Black family tree still lived to fight for the Order of the Phoenix.

Nymphadora Tonks walked up to him and graced him with a small smile. "We've never met."

"Yeah," he replied unsurely. "I know."

"You look like your father."

He nodded. "Yeah, and you look like the Blacks."

She smiled brightly and unexpectedly pulled him into a strong hug. "We're family," she whispered.

He wrapped one arm around her waist and nodded to himself. She was right, they were family. She was the only cousin that he had. "It's nice to meet you," he chuckled quietly.

She laughed along with him but their moment was interrupted by Snape clearing his throat. "We're ready to start."

His cousin led him into the Weasleys' living room and he took a seat next to Potter. Snape introduced him to all of the adults and their reaction to his surname was not unexpected. He noticed all of the redheads staring at him and he leaned in to whisper to Potter. "Is Weasley's whole family in the Order?"

"Pretty much," he responded.

Draco didn't speak during the meeting but listened with rapt attention. Arthur Weasley and Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt discussed the situation at the Ministry. Snape told them all about Death Eater activities and movements. Mundungus Fletcher, a dirty back alley thief, revealed information that he had learned through his connections in the wizarding underworld. Moody was paranoid and mental but absolutely brilliant and fascinating. Lupin had been living underground and trying to convince the werewolves to fight for the Order but Greyback's influence was proving difficult to overcome. Draco had to admire his shabby, former teacher, living underground with the likes of Greyback could not be easy. The Weasley that he had seen in the kitchen, Charlie, who studied dragons for a living in Romania, gave a report on overseas recruitment. And the eldest Weasley, Bill, worked for Gringotts and had insight on the goblins. Bill was not what Draco expected from a Gringotts employee or a Weasley. He was tall and thin with long, red hair pulled back into a ponytail and a fang earring. He wore jeans, a t-shirt, dragon hide boots, and had nabbed the beautiful Fleur Delacour.

He was slightly surprised when Snape did not bring up what they were doing at Hogwarts. Apparently, his dealings with Potter were between himself, the three Gryffindors, Snape, and Dumbledore.

Draco had to admit that the Order of the Phoenix lot, particularly all the Weasleys, weren't half bad. Mrs. Weasley's biscuits were delicious and Bill and Charlie had tons of interesting stories from their work. Even the twins, who had relentlessly annoyed him during their overlapped school years, were growing on him. After all, they were successful businessmen now.

When the meeting officially ended, the Order continued to chat but Draco took the opportunity to slip out and follow Granger to the kitchen. She was standing in front of the counter pouring herself a cup of tea.

He walked up behind her and gently placed his hand on the small of her back. "Hi," he whispered.

Her body tensed but she turned her head to smile at him. "Hi. I was surprised to see you here tonight."

"Yeah, I was surprised too," he replied honestly. "But Snape thought it was a good idea."

"Earlier, with you and Tonks…that was really sweet."

"We're family," he stated. Regardless of the fact that he had gone sixteen years without knowing her, it was nice to have blood on his side. It made him feel much more comfortable with "his situation".

He raised a hand to tuck a curly strand of hair behind Granger's ear. Her hair really had a mind of its own. She was so breathtaking…

She shivered and sucked in a breath at his touch. "Draco."

"Did you like your present?" He asked curiously.

"I loved it," she breathed.

They broke apart when they heard footsteps on the stairs. Ginny Weasley strode into the kitchen with an annoyed look on her face. "Is the meeting over?" Her eyes fell on him and widened in shock. "Malfoy? What are you doing here? In my house?"

"It's a long story," he responded.

"Harry will probably be able to explain it better than I can," Granger added. "But Draco is helping us."

"Wow," the redhead whistled. "I never thought that I would see Draco Malfoy in my kitchen."

Draco smiled awkwardly but luckily Snape entered the kitchen at that moment.

"We're leaving now, Draco."

"Okay," he nodded. He figured that a goodbye would make the situation even more uncomfortable so he simply followed Snape out into the garden.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Harry watched Snape and Malfoy Disapparate through one of the Burrow's living room windows. He frowned as he watched them disappear into the darkness.

"Is something wrong, Harry?" Lupin asked from behind him.

Harry turned to face one of the best teachers he's ever had and the only living connection to his parents. All of the other adults were still sitting around the living room in deep discussion but Lupin had gotten up to check on him. He was going to divulge his concerns to Dumbledore anyway; an opinion from Lupin certainly wouldn't hurt.

"Malfoy was given a mission by Voldemort, and Snape is helping him with it, and Dumbledore told me that I'm not to ask Malfoy about it but I have a feeling that if I just knew—"

Lupin interrupted him. "Maybe it's not our business to know, Harry. Its Dumbledore's business."

"But…just say…what if Dumbledore's wrong about them…"

"People still distrust Severus," Lupin admitted. "But it comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore's judgement. I do, therefore, I trust Severus, and now Draco Malfoy."

Harry was not letting this go without an argument. "But Dumbledore can make mistakes, he says so himself."

He continued to argue with a man he respected over whether or not the two Slytherins could be trusted. Despite all of the bad history between him and Snape, there was no doubt that Lupin trusted him. So, Harry quickly switched tactics to attacking Malfoy.

"Harry," Lupin sighed. "It was probably on Dumbledore's orders that Severus reached out to Draco in the first place, _and_ he made an Unbreakable Vow."

"But what if—"

Lupin interrupted him yet again. "What do your friends think of Draco?"

"Ron agrees with me. He doesn't trust him either," he said quickly.

"And Hermione?" Lupin questioned.

Harry frowned, they hadn't talked about Malfoy much but Harry could tell that she was much more receptive to his change in personality. Hermione was always willing to see the good in anyone but she wasn't easily fooled. "She seems to think that he's being honest with us," he finally answered.

"Harry, she really is the cleverest witch I've ever seen. She reminds me a lot of your mother," he added sadly. "Do you trust her?"

"Of course! I trust Hermione with my life!" He stated passionately.

"Then trust Draco because she does."

Harry could tell that Lupin was trying to appeal to his logical side as well as his emotions and he nodded in acceptance. "Okay," he said quietly. "I'll try to put a little more faith in him."

"I'm going to head out," Tonks announced loudly. "Thanks again Molly." She brushed past him and Lupin and winked playfully. "See ya later Harry." She caught Hermione's attention and the pair of females left after saying their goodbyes.

Again, Harry noticed a subtle frown on Lupin's face but he was too deep in his own thoughts to ponder the reason why.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

After Tonks brought her back to her house, Hermione curled up on her sofa with one of her new books. Her father was in his study and her mother was doing something in the kitchen. She lifted her head in surprise when there was a knock on their front door. She closed her book and got to her feet. She pulled open the door and her mouth dropped open in shock as she stared at their visitor.

"Draco! What are you doing here?" She panicked.

Didn't he understand how dangerous it could be for him to come to her house?

"I needed to see you," he choked.

She pulled him inside her home. "Well, come in then." Not only was it dangerous for him to stand on her doorstep but it was snowing outside and he looked like he was freezing. His favourite black suit jacket wasn't exactly a coat for winter weather.

"Hermione, dear, who is it?" Her mother called out from the kitchen.

"Just a friend from school!" She shouted back. "Now, what are you doing here?" She asked Draco urgently.

"I just…I didn't want to go back to my house," he confessed quietly. "Aunt Bella has been hanging around a lot lately."

She sighed. It was hard to stay mad at him when he looked sad and cold and was talking about how he didn't feel comfortable in his own home.

Her mother emerged from the kitchen with a bright smile. "Hermione, who is this? Oh, you look so cold! Did you walk here? Here, give me your clothes and I'll toss them in the dryer!"

Draco looked like a deer caught in headlights and Hermione couldn't blame him. Her mother was a force of nature, so kind it bordered on pushy, and he definitely did not know what a dryer was.

"Hermione, get him something of your father's to wear."

Hermione did as she was told and walked into the laundry room. She grabbed a pair of flannel trousers and an old jumper belonging to her father and brought them out to Draco. She showed him where their downstairs bathroom was so that he could change. She couldn't help but smile at how positively overwhelmed he looked.

"Hermione," her mother began in a teasing tone. "Who is he? He is quite handsome."

"His name is Draco. He's just a friend from school, Mum," she repeated.

"Is he the one who sent the present?" Her mother inquired perceptively.

Hermione didn't answer but the blush on her cheeks was a dead giveaway.

Luckily, her mother wasn't able to question her any further because Draco returned with his wand and wet clothes in hand. The trousers were too short for him and the jumper was a little big but he didn't seem to mind. Her mother took his clothes from him and offered him tea and leftovers from supper.

"No thank you, Mrs. Granger," he answered politely.

Her mother scuttled away and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry, about her," she chuckled quietly.

"It's okay," he smiled. "She seems energetic."

Hermione laughed, "Yes, that's putting it lightly." She led Draco to her sofa, they sat down, and he immediately reached for her hand. "So, how _did_ you get here?" She inquired. After all, Wiltshire was a nice distance away from London. He couldn't legally Apparate and surely, he didn't fly here.

"I bought a flat six streets away so I Flooed there and then walked here. I underestimated the walking distance a little," he admitted sheepishly.

"You bought a flat in London?" She asked in disbelief.

He nodded. "Yes, over the summer. It was Snape's idea and it's under an alias of course. Only Snape and I, and now you, know about it. He felt that it was a good precaution to take in case I ever need to go on the run."

He had bought a London flat as a precaution. He was prepared to go on the run. She was amazed, and a little frightened, that he had thought so far ahead. "What other _precautions _have you taken?"

"Well," he grinned. "I've been training myself to become an Animagus."

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "You have? That can be incredibly dangerous!"

"I have it down path now. Maybe I'll show you sometime." He leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. "Merlin, I needed to do that," he laughed.

Hermione heard her mother walk back into the living room and she practically jumped to the other end of the sofa.

"Your clothes are in the dryer but it's very late so, you're more than welcome to stay here tonight, Draco. If you don't mind sleeping on the sofa that is, we're currently renovating the guestroom."

"That's very kind of you, Mrs. Granger, and the sofa is fine," he smiled charmingly.

Her mother giggled before returning to the kitchen. "Lovely."

"Oh my God," Hermione laughed. "You've been here five minutes and you already have my mother wrapped around your finger."

"I hope that she's not the only Granger woman I have wrapped around my finger," he smirked.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco lay on the Grangers' couch staring at their ceiling. He couldn't sleep knowing that Granger was upstairs…in her bed…wearing her pyjamas. She was so close yet so far away.

He knew that showing up at her house wasn't the smartest idea…Snape would probably have his bollocks when he found out…but he had just needed to spend some time with her…and kiss her. He had spent Christmas Day with Theo and the Greengrasses at the Manor, but other than that one day of rest, his holiday had been a nightmare thus far. He was trying to spend time with his mother but his Aunt Bella was putting a stop to that. The majority of his time had been spent duelling and training, and wandering the Manor under Aunt Bella's watchful eye. He was exhausted and just needed to get out of there for the night. So, when he had returned with Snape, he told his mother that he was staying at Theo's for the night.

Granger gave him peace like no one else. She relaxed him and she was the only person that he fully let his guard down around.

And he hadn't expected to feel so comfortable around her parents. They were the complete opposite of everything that he had ever been told about Muggles. They were hospitable, clever, polite, very clean, and they clearly had money. The Granger home was a large, spotless bungalow and he was envious of the cars parked in their driveway. They were proud of their daughter and not at all scared of her magic. They hadn't even flinched when she had cast a spell earlier in the evening. They were very special Muggles.

He abruptly sat up when he heard footsteps on the staircase. He really hoped that it wasn't Mr. Granger. Hermione may look like her mother but she had the mind of her father. Just one look at him, and Mr. Granger would know that he was thinking about his daughter inappropriately.

He smiled when the girl that he had been thinking about appeared at the end of the sofa. She was wearing a dressing gown but she didn't have it tied together so he could see that she was wearing his shorts and a small, white vest. He could see her exposed midriff.

"I can't sleep," she told him.

"Me neither."

She turned to walk into the kitchen and he eagerly followed her. "Do you want some tea? Or some take-away? My parents only get it when I'm home, they're sort of health conscious."

"What's take-away?" He asked confused.

"Oh," she chuckled, "they must not have that in the wizarding world. It's like food from a restaurant that you bring home or get delivered."

"But why would you go to a restaurant and not sit down and eat?"

"Never mind," she laughed. "It's a Muggle thing."

He accepted her explanation and asked no further questions about "take-away" food. "It doesn't matter, I'm not hungry anyway," he said huskily. He just wanted her. He slipped his hands into her dressing gown and onto her waist. He pulled her body into his and hungrily pressed his mouth against hers. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and she quickly invited him inside.

When she pulled back, she took a deep breath and looked up at him with large, chocolate brown eyes. "Come up to my room…there's a bed…"

He laughed, "Yeah? A bed?" He teased.

She blushed and playfully pushed against his chest. "Stop it. I feel like I can't think when your hands are on me, and I say the stupidest things."

"I think it's cute," he smiled. "And I don't usually find things _cute_. Once again, you're the exception."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione totally forgot all of the reasons why it was not a good idea to get involved with him when he kissed her, touched her, and then said things like that. All of her well-reasoned thinking flew out the window when it came to him. All that she focused on was that she wanted to be with him.

She took her wand out of the pocket of her dressing gown and cast _Muffliatio_ around them so that her parents wouldn't hear anything. She didn't approve of the spells from the Half-Blood Prince's book but this was a special situation. She grabbed Draco's hand and led him up over the stairs and into her bedroom. She closed and locked her door behind them.

As she watched him look around her room she expected to feel nervous but she didn't. She felt happy and excited…and really _really _eager. She wasn't a virgin but she still believed that sex was supposed to be special.

She looked down at her bed and frowned. It was so small. She laughed to herself and shook her head.

"What is it?" Draco asked.

"Nothing," she smiled.

Why was she obsessing over small details? All of those little things were part of who she was and if he didn't like those things then he wouldn't be here. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down for a kiss.

It wasn't long before she was pinned beneath him on her bed and his jumper and her dressing gown were lying on the floor. But she was growing impatient and needy. She kissed down his neck and plucked at the waistband of his trousers.

"Draco, take these off…"

"Slow down," he encouraged. "We have all night."

Hermione Granger was stubborn and was not used to taking orders from her peers, so she sat up and pulled her vest over her head. She squirmed out of her shorts and knickers and tossed them aside. He stared at her for a moment before finally getting the message. He stood up next to her bed and pushed his trousers and underwear to his feet. His body was beyond gorgeous; the delicious sinewy muscles of his arms and chest perfectly emphasized the dramatic taper of his hips and his rather large manhood. He looked like a sculpture.

He crawled back onto her bed and hovered over her. "Do we need to cast a spell?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm on the potion."

"Okay," he breathed. He gently brushed his thumb along her cheek. "You're so…good." One of her legs was bent at the knee by his side and he tenderly ran his hand from her calf to the top of her thigh. His fingers danced across the flesh of her inner thigh and she giggled. "What?" He asked with a roguish grin.

"I'm ticklish," she confessed shyly.

"How did I not know this before?" He asked as his hand slowly moved up her body to rest on her chest. "Your heart is racing," he whispered.

Her heart really was racing but she knew that it was a good sign. She ran one hand through his hair…she still couldn't get over how soft his hair was…and placed the other on his shoulder. She leaned forward to softly kiss him before dragging her lips along his jaw to his ear. "I want you inside me…now." She felt him, heavy and hard, against her thigh and knew that he wanted her just as much. He groaned as he pressed the full weight of his body against hers. "And don't go slow," she added. "We can go slow later." Viktor had treated her like a porcelain doll and that's not what she wanted from him.

"Whatever you want," he responded. He entwined their fingers and pushed her hands high above her head as he sank into her.

She moaned loudly and tossed her head back. She squeezed his hands and met his hips thrust for thrust.

"Fuck Granger," he groaned and his hot breath fanned across her face. "You are really tight."

His mouth found the pulse point in her neck and it didn't leave her body for the rest of their union. He licked her collarbone, nipped at her breasts, and possessed her mouth. She watched in fascination as the muscles in his back bunched in exertion, that playful fringe fell over his forehead, and his eyes turned midnight blue. Everything about him was arousing.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and gripped his upper arms. "God Draco, I am so close." She could feel a sensation deep in the pit of her stomach like a tightly coiled spring.

He seemed to take her statement as a challenge because his next thrust hit her at the perfect angle and she reached her climax repeatedly moaning his name without a trace of embarrassment.

Her orgasm triggered his and he collapsed on top of her with a masculine growl of her name.

She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly as she played with his damp hair. He lazily kissed her neck and shoulder as he regained his energy. Eventually, he rolled over onto his side and tossed his arm across her stomach.

"You never cease to amaze me, Granger," he chuckled throatily.

She smiled to herself and licked her lips. Her body was so satisfied and her mind had never felt blanker. "Back at ya."

Draco laughed and propped himself up on an elbow so that he could look down at her. "All that the brightest witch of the age has to say after a mind-blowing, amazing, incredible shag from a devastatingly handsome bloke is 'back at ya'?"

She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him down to kiss her. "You're such a prat," she said against his mouth.

But she definitely wasn't going to kick him out of her bed. He made her feel sexy and light-hearted and she couldn't recall ever being so intimate with someone…physically, emotionally, and intellectually. No one made her feel like he did…

…Not even Ron.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco awoke in a bed that was much too small for him and on a mattress that was much too firm. He was confused for a moment until he identified the intoxicating smell surrounding him. It was unmistakably Granger. Memories of the night before flashed in his mind and he grinned to himself. He reached out for her warm, soft body but all he found was cold sheets. He opened his eyes and sat up when he discovered that he was alone.

"What are you doing?" He asked sleepily when he found her sitting in the blue armchair in the corner of her room. She was wide awake, wearing just an oversized jumper, and her hair looked more unmanageable than ever. She looked so sexy and he felt his fingers and cock twitch in excitement.

"I didn't wanna wake you," she smiled. "You were sleeping so deeply."

"I usually don't sleep well, especially lately," he said as he ran a hand through his hair. He felt that he was practically an insomniac; apparently Granger had a calming effect on him even in his sleep. "Now, what are you doing?" He spotted parchment in her lap and a charcoal pencil in her hand. "Are you sketching?"

She nodded. "I'm using your Christmas present."

He crawled to the end of her bed, unembarrassed by his nakedness, and peeked at her drawing. She had drawn him where he had been just moments ago sleeping and she was really good. "Isn't it supposed to be really romantic and sexy when the bloke draws the beautiful girl sleeping, not the other way around?"

"You don't like it?" She asked as she self-consciously bit her lip.

He quickly shook his head and reached out to pry her lip from between her teeth. "No, I do. Can I have it?"

"Sure," she smiled before kissing his lingering fingers.

"Perfect. Now, come back to bed."

She laughed as she laid the parchment and pencil on her desk and stood up. "I have a present for you," she said shyly.

He grinned excitedly and placed his hands on her hips. "Yeah?"

"But I'll be honest; I only picked it up the other day."

"That's fine. You didn't have to get me anything…just get back in the bed," he encouraged mischievously.

"You're insatiable," she scolded playfully.

"And very eager to please," he responded quickly. He pulled her down onto his lap and she gasped at the feel of his morning erection. He knew based on a quick glance at her bedside table clock that it was still very early, the sun wasn't even fully up yet. He had a little more time to spend with her before he dashed out of her house.

They had made love three times last night and each time had been incredible. It was like her body was perfectly moulded for him…being inside of her was incomparable. He loved the feel of her short nails on his shoulders and arse and her responses to his touch drove him wild. She told him exactly what she wanted and was almost demanding about it, that bossy voice of hers was still present in the bedroom, but he found the way she battled him for dominance to be a complete turn on.

He could go over every detail and nuance of her for hours but there was one thing that he was absolutely sure of: sex with Pansy Parkinson, or any other girl, did not even hold a candle to sex with Hermione Granger.

"Don't you want to open your present?" She asked breathlessly as he kissed down her neck.

"I'm sure that I'll love it," he reassured her. He began to ease her jumper over her head and she slowly lifted her arms in compliance.

"Okay," she laughed, "you can open it after." She pushed him back onto her bed and cradled his face in her hands.

Her dark tresses fell like a curtain around them and his large hands grasped her hips. He smiled up at her, "Now I know why they call you the brightest witch of the age."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione joined her mother in the sitting room once she finished a long, relaxing shower and grabbed the plate of breakfast from the kitchen that her mother had left for her in the microwave. She didn't want to return to her bedroom because Draco was gone and her bed didn't feel the same.

"Where's Dad?" She asked curiously.

Her mother looked up from what she was reading and smiled. "He's just gone to check on some things at the office."

"Oh, okay."

"So," her mother began deviously. "Draco certainly left early this morning."

"Yes," she nodded. "He needed to get back home."

She could feel her cheeks heating up and she didn't want to have to explain that reaction to her mother. She wasn't sure how either of her parents would react to the news that Draco had spent the night in her bedroom…and they had had sex four times. Well, she could easily imagine her father's reaction and it was not pleasant.

"He seems like a nice boy," her mother commented.

Hermione laughed to herself because she had a feeling that not very many people would come to the conclusion that Draco Malfoy was a nice boy. "Yeah, I guess."

Her mother looked at her in confusion. "He's not a nice boy?"

"He's complicated," she replied honestly. "Do you remember during my first few years of Hogwarts when I would tell you about this boy who _hated_ me, Harry, and Ron?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, Draco was that boy but he went through some really difficult things with his family this past summer and he's changed." She explained everything regarding the war in the very simplest of terms to her parents. She didn't want them to worry any more than they already did. "Do you think that people really change?" She questioned fearfully.

"I do," her mother smiled. "I think that it's easier for people not to change and that's why a lot of them don't. Are you two…?"

"I guess so," she answered awkwardly. Whether or not they were officially dating was not something that she and Draco had discussed. They hadn't put a label on their relationship even when they had started to become friends. The only thing that they had decided was that whatever they had needed to be kept a secret.

"You guess so?" Her mother teased. "It certainly seems like you are. The way that he looks at you is…intense."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked confused.

"He looks at you like he would do anything for you. It's nice to see a boy look at my daughter that way," she smiled.

It was very interesting to hear her mother's opinions of Draco and their dynamic, especially since her parents loved Ron and the Weasleys. However, she was puzzled and slightly frightened by her mother's last comment.

"_He looks at you like he would do anything for you_._"_

If her mother was right then she has been completely oblivious to his feelings towards her and Hermione Granger was not oblivious.

Since beginning Hogwarts, she had faced a giant three-headed dog, been petrified by a Basilisk, travelled back in time, flown a Hippogriff and a Thestral, been taken hostage for a game, founded a secret, forbidden society, and battled Death Eaters. All of those dangerous tasks seemed easy now and she would do any one of them over again because the idea of Draco feeling that strongly about her was absolutely terrifying.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco stepped out of the fireplace and into the living room of Nott Manor. It had been _so_ difficult to leave Granger, especially since she had been lying in her bed when he left, naked and gorgeous. But he had needed to leave the Granger household and get back to the place where he was supposed to be. So, he returned to Theo's with her drawing and Christmas present to him, which had been a variety of Muggle things that she thought he would enjoy. She had gotten him a pair of blue jeans, a collection of plays by some bloke named Shakespeare, and these delicious sweets that were apple flavoured and covered in chocolate. He loved her gifts and she had downsized the box so that it fit in his trouser pocket.

"And where have you been all this time?" A snide voice called from behind him.

He turned around to find Theo sitting in a large, wing backed chair with a glass in his hand. He also had a large grin on his face.

"Out," he answered with a chuckle.

Theo laughed. "You are such a prat. I'm your faithful alibi and you won't even tell me where you were. Well, you look like you just had the best night of your life. Wanna drink?"

"Isn't it a little early?"

Theo laughed again. "We're pure-bloods, it's never too early."

Draco followed Theo to the bar in the corner of the room and sat on a stool while his friend poured him a glass of Firewhiskey.

Nott Manor was only a tad smaller than Malfoy Manor but it felt a lot emptier. Theo lived here by himself now, just him and the house elves. His father was also in Azkaban after being caught at the Department of Mysteries and his mother had passed away when he had been thirteen, and he had no living relatives that he was close to. Theo had spent the majority of his summer staying with the Greengrasses but now that he was of age, he had turned seventeen on the twenty-eighth of October; he could legally live on his own. He seemed to enjoy the solitude but he had spent a lot of his holiday with either Draco or Daphne.

As if on cue, Daphne sauntered down the main staircase in Theo's clothes. "So, you're back?" She grinned at Draco. She walked along the back of his stool and ran a hand along his neck. "Nice love bite," she teased. "Do you have the scratch marks to go along with it?"

"Ha ha, very funny Daph."

She continued to grin as she joined Theo behind the bar. She placed a kiss on his cheek and he wrapped an arm around her slender waist. Draco grimaced; he wished that he could be that open with the girl in his life.

"Okay, I think it's time to tell us where you were," Theo stated in a sing-song voice.

Draco sighed. "If I tell you then you can't breathe a word of it to anyone."

"I'm your best mate, Drake. I wouldn't do that."

"Me neither," Daphne echoed.

"I was with Granger," he confessed. "I've been seeing her since the end of September."

Theo slammed his glass down onto the bar and laughed. "You lying git! I've been encouraging you to go after her all this time when you already have! You could have told me."

"It's a secret, the whole point is to not tell anyone," Draco argued. "It's dangerous for people to know about us."

"We won't say anything, Draco." Daphne smiled, "I think that it's really sweet."

Draco rolled his eyes. His closest female friend was such a hopeless romantic.

"So," Theo grinned playfully, "you were with her _all_ last night?"

Draco took a much needed sip of his Firewhiskey. "Yes and not a single second is any of your business."

"You are the worst best mate ever," Theo accused.

Daphne looked up at Theo startled. "You don't tell him about us, do you?"

Theo gently squeezed her waist and placed a quick kiss on her temple. "Of course not, darling." But he winked over her head at Draco.

"I'd like to get to know her," she commented casually. "And see the two of you together."

"Really?" Draco choked on his alcohol.

Daphne nodded. "I saw you with Pansy in your first serious relationship and I've seen you with every other girl you've ever been interested in, so I think that I'll be a good judge of how you're feeling."

"How _are_ you feeling?" Theo asked curiously.

"She's…" Draco paused and smiled to himself. "She's perfect. She's everything that I need right now."

**A/N:** Happy New Year! Please leave a review! :)


	23. The Midnight Meeting

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 23 – The Midnight Meeting**

The students of Hogwarts had only returned to school a week ago and Harry already felt like he was busier than ever. His fellow students were preoccupied with schoolwork and Apparition lessons while he was focused on things that he considered to be more important.

He, Ron, and Hermione had been rigorously training with Malfoy since their return and Harry had to admit that Draco Malfoy was rather impressive in a duel. The Slytherin had completely mastered non-verbal magic and he was quick on his feet. He was also highly proficient at Occlumency, a skill that he was urging Harry to practice, and he was nearly unsusceptible to the Imperius Curse. He knew numerous healing spells and had memorized the recipes for many important potions.

Harry had quickly realized that Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange had trained Malfoy like the military trained their most elite Muggle soldiers. Snape had made sure that he had all the knowledge that he needed regarding the Dark Arts, potion making, and spell work, and all the necessary tools to face his most dangerous enemies. And Bellatrix Lestrange had pounded him with curses and jinxes until they practically didn't affect him anymore. He could shake off the Imperius Curse in an instant and a Stunning spell merely caused him to lose his footing for a moment. Malfoy had even admitted to Harry that the Cruciatus Curse didn't hurt as much as it used to.

Harry still didn't like Malfoy but he sure as hell respected him. He could only imagine the physical pain that Malfoy had to endure for his body to be accustomed to such magical attacks. And he was beginning to think that Malfoy's childhood wasn't as perfect as he had always imagined it to be.

In turn, Harry was teaching Malfoy the Patronus Charm. He hadn't produced a corporal Patronus yet but he was at least showing progress which was more than Harry had expected.

As if all of the training with Malfoy wasn't enough, Harry had also had another lesson with Dumbledore. He recited the lesson to Ron in the common room after returning from Dumbledore's office. Hermione was absent, which had become normal since they had returned from the Christmas holiday. She was throwing herself into her schoolwork more than ever, and she took every possible opportunity to avoid Ron and Lavender. The two still couldn't keep their lips apart but Ron seemed to be in a constantly miserable mood.

This time with Dumbledore, Harry had looked at two memories.

The first was the memory of Morfin Gaunt and his encounter with a sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle, and it was the moment that the young man had first learned that his father was a Muggle. Dumbledore told him that after discovering his true heritage, Tom Riddle had gone on to murder his father and grandparents and had framed Morfin for the crime. Riddle had also taken Morfin's family ring that he cherished.

The second memory was much more confusing and it belonged to Professor Slughorn. The memory was foggy and sounded unnatural. Dumbledore told Harry that this was because the memory had been tampered with. In the memory, Voldemort had asked Slughorn about something called Horcruxes and there were parts that Slughorn clearly did not want Dumbledore to see. It was now Harry's job to retrieve the true memory and he had a feeling it would not be an easy task. But Dumbledore called Slughorn's memory the most important piece of information about Voldemort that he had collected and he couldn't take that statement lightly.

Still, he had no idea how he was supposed to get the real memory from Slughorn and he didn't even know what a Horcrux was supposed to be.

Ron whistled after Harry finished speaking. "These memories are…complicated."

Harry nodded in agreement. These memories of Voldemort were all that he could think about and he still wasn't sure of their significance.

"Maybe Hermione can get something out of them," Ron muttered. "She probably knows what a Horcrux is. Is she at the library?"

Harry shrugged. "I suppose."

"Are you going to tell Malfoy?"

"I suppose," Harry repeated. He really was going to try to take Lupin's advice. He was going to make an effort to trust Malfoy because people that he respected did. Tonks had taken to him immediately and Harry saw the silent understanding that he had solidified with Hermione. "He knows a lot of things that we don't. He understands the Dark Arts."

Ron nodded but scowled. "I still think he's a slimy git. He's too much like Snape."

Harry couldn't help but smile, his relationship with Malfoy was certainly better than it used to be but Ron and the Slytherin would probably never see eye to eye.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione crept through the dark halls of Hogwarts while throwing a cautionary look over her shoulder every few seconds. She couldn't believe that she was sneaking out of her bedroom past curfew to meet Draco in the Prefects' bathroom. She knew that it wasn't a good idea but she couldn't bring herself to say no or just not show up. He had a pull over her that she feared. In fact, there were a lot of things about him that frightened her. He was too reckless…too perceptive…too volatile…what he was doing was too dangerous…she was deathly afraid of the depth of his feelings for her…but she cared for him too, and that was the root of her problem. She wanted to sneak out to see him. She was dying to spend some time alone with him since they hadn't been alone since being at her house over the holiday. She felt the _need_ to be with him.

And she wasn't naive enough to believe that seeing Ron and Lavender together didn't at least play a small part in that feeling. Ron didn't make her feel as excited or nervous as Draco did, and he didn't make her feel as attractive or wanted, but he was still _Ron_.

Unfortunately, a girl never forgets her first love but Hermione came startlingly close when she walked into the Prefects' bathroom.

The only thing illuminating the room were dozens of floating candles. The bath was already drawn and the aroma surrounding her was heavenly. She had this very fantasy every single time that she washed up in this bathroom but it had always featured a different, red-haired leading man…until tonight.

"Don't give me that look. I'm usually not this romantic," Draco called from the water.

Hermione chuckled, "You have a soft side, Draco Malfoy."

"Let's not go overboard Granger," he sneered.

She laughed again and continued to look around the room in awe.

"Well," he interrupted after a moment. "Get in."

She stopped for a moment and something that had been bothering her for a while came to her mind. She needed to talk to him about it or otherwise she would be thinking about it all night. "Draco," she began tentatively. "Can I ask you a question first?"

He nodded and walked towards the edge of the tub that she was closest to. She sat down on the marble floor in front of him and smiled when he lazily stroked her bare ankle with his wet finger.

"So, what is it?"

"I've been wondering…why did you become a Death Eater in the first place?" The question had been bothering her since he had first shown her the Dark Mark.

She watched as he closed his eyes and softly groaned. "I suppose I should have been expecting this," he murmured. He took a deep breath before he started. "After the incident at the Department of Mysteries I knew that my family would be punished severely. My father really messed up and when he was sentenced to Azkaban I knew that the Dark Lord's wrath would fall on me or my mother. So, I volunteered to take the Dark Mark and I hoped that it would satisfy him for a while and it did. I thought that he wouldn't expect much from me besides information on Potter but then he gave me my mission and my mother thinks that it's more of a punishment than anything else he could have done but she's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"What better way to ensure loyalty from me and my father than to threaten my mother?" He asked rhetorically.

She reached out to stroke his face and smiled softly. "You did it for your mother?" Once again, Draco's love for his mother tugged at her heartstrings.

He grimaced. "Don't make me sound like such a martyr, Granger. Malfoys are very good at self-preservation and it has dictated most of my decisions since I came to Hogwarts."

She frowned and her thumb stopped on his bottom lip. "You may not be a martyr but you make yourself sound like such a villain."

"Isn't that what I've been to you for the past five years?" He smirked cynically.

"You're not supposed to let your past define who you are now," she argued fiercely. Something about his demeanour was so sad and helpless…vulnerable even. This was the side of him that only she was privy to.

"I'm not a good guy, Granger, and you're smart enough to know that."

"You're what I need right now, remember?" She asked as she recalled his words from the night of Professor Slughorn's Christmas party. He gave her a small smile and she quickly leaned forward to kiss him.

When she pulled back, he grinned. "Will you get in now? I'm getting cold."

Hermione smiled as she stood up. She pulled her unruly hair into a bun and removed her dressing gown. She quickly stripped out of her clothes and laid them in a neat pile with her wand on top. She slipped into the tub and Draco immediately grabbed her by the waist.

"Merlin, you're sexy," he whispered.

She smiled against his neck before pulling back to look at his predatory smirk and darkened eyes. She ran a hand through his fine hair as she said, "You make me feel sexy."

He chuckled darkly and tightened his hold on her waist. "You make the simplest thing look tantalizing. Even your magic is sexy."

She felt her cheeks flush but she was distracted by a searing kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and reciprocated in kind. She sunk down into the warm water until it was touching her chin and she brought Draco down with her.

"I need this," he groaned. "After training alone with Potter for the majority of this week, I need this."

"What have you two been…?"

He interrupted her with two fingers probing her center. "Granger, the last thing that I want to talk about now is Potter."

She laughed but her breath died in her throat due to his movements. She sighed in pleasure and ran her tongue along his jaw. "Oh Draco." She entwined her legs around his strong calves and rubbed herself against his hardened length.

He bit down on her earlobe and hissed. "Don't tease me."

Hermione smiled to herself and dug her short nails into his back. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, even in the water, and the last thing that she wanted to do was tease him. She wanted this just as much, if not more, than him. "I'm not teasing. I want you to take me."

Draco needed no further encouragement. He placed his hands on her backside and hoisted her into his arms. He aggressively captured her mouth as he lowered her down onto him.

**A/N: **So, I'm not giving up on this story because I hate to leave things unfinished but I probably won't be updating for a while. I will try my best though!

Please leave a review! :)


	24. Horcruxes

****A/N:**** I apologize for the very long hiatus. I guess that I lost my motivation to write this story, but I'm back now and I will try not to post the chapters too far apart.

Enjoy! :)

****Disclaimer:** **I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 24 –** **Horcruxes**

The next morning, over breakfast, Harry explained to Hermione, in hushed whispers, what he had learned from Dumbledore. Her tolerance for Ron seemed to have increased exponentially, or at least she was able to be around him for longer than five minutes without snapping, rolling her eyes, or making a snarky remark about Lavender Brown. It was progress. In Harry's opinion, Hermione seemed to be in a better mood overall and he had no idea why. He didn't want to ask her out of fear of jinxing it. As he had discovered many times before, his life ran much more smoothly when his two best friends were getting along. So he didn't care why Hermione had turned over a new leaf, all he cared about was that she was suddenly less hostile towards the redhead.

Ron sounded much more optimistic about getting the truth out of Slughorn this morning than he had last night. "Should be easy, shouldn't it? Slughorn loves you. Won't refuse you anything, will he? Not his little Potions Prince."

Hermione granted Ron her first contemptuous look of the morning. "Don't be daft, Ronald. He must be determined to hide what really happened if Dumbledore couldn't get it out of him," she whispered. "Horcruxes…_Horcruxes_…I've never even heard of them…"

Ron turned to her in surprise. "You haven't? We were going to ask you last night but you weren't around. Where were you anyway?" He probed nosily.

Hermione ignored him and turned to Harry. "They must be really advanced dark magic, or why would Voldemort have wanted to know about them?"

Harry nodded in agreement but he couldn't hide his disappointment. He had hoped that Hermione would know _something_, but now he had no other choice but to ask for Malfoy's expertise.

They ended the conversation there and finished their breakfast so that they could get ready for class.

At the end of Potions, Harry thought about biting the bullet, as Muggles would say, and asking Slughorn about Horcruxes right then and there, but he didn't have the nerve. So he packed away his things and slipped off to his next class.

Later that evening, while Ron was busy snogging Lavender Brown somewhere, he and Hermione went to the library on a mission.

Unfortunately, the Hogwarts library had failed Hermione Granger for the first time in living memory, and she was frustrated to say the least.

"I haven't found one single explanation of what Horcruxes do!" She exclaimed in defeat. "Not a single one! I've been through the restricted section, even the most horrible books," she ranted, "where they tell you how to brew the most _gruesome_ potions but nothing on Horcruxes! All I could find was this, in the introduction to _Magick Moste Evile_: 'of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction'…why mention it then?" She slammed the book closed in anger and slouched in her chair. She turned to him after running a hand through her wild hair. "Let's just ask Draco," she sighed.

Harry raised an eyebrow in intrigue. She said the Slytherin's name with far too much familiarity. Since when were they on a first name basis? "_Draco_?"

Hermione ignored him and pulled her fake Galleon out of her pocket. She sent a message and got up out of her chair. "Come on, let's go meet him."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco stood in the middle of the Room of Requirement, with his hands in the pockets of his black trousers, and sombrely greeted Potter and Granger when they walked in. "Evening."

Potter didn't even waste a greeting on him. "Malfoy, we need to know what a Horcrux is."

Draco pondered the subject carefully. "A Horcrux," he murmured to himself. "A Horcrux."

"Do you know what it is?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"I remember that when I was a boy I came across the word in one of the books in our library," he recalled. "I asked my father about it but my mother forbade him from answering me. She said that it wasn't something a boy should know."

"So, he doesn't know anything either," Potter stated in exasperation. "We're back to square one."

The male Gryffindor whispered something to his female counterpart before he spoke again. "I'm heading to bed."

Once he left, the brunette spoke, "He's just frustrated."

"Aren't we all," Draco replied grimly.

He glanced down at his shoes before he raised his head and let a grin takeover his face. Now that Potter was gone, he didn't have to act anymore. He stalked towards her and snaked his arms around her waist. He placed a hard kiss on her mouth before he pulled away to take a deep breath. "I'm a better actor than I thought."

He had barely been able to take his eyes off of her in their lessons today. Acting like he didn't care for Granger had quickly become the most difficult aspect of his mission. He didn't want Potter, or anyone else, to figure out that he was head over heels for the girl. He had a part to play, a reputation to uphold, and he was willing to play it. For now at least.

She laughed softly as she placed both of her hands on his shoulders. "So am I."

Then again, he had his fair share of secrets, so he was fairly well practiced in the art of acting, and he had a feeling that she was as well.

Malfoys did not wear their hearts on their sleeve.

They kissed again before he addressed the topic that she had brought them together to discuss. "I may be able to find some information on Horcruxes, but I'll need to visit the Manor."

"Can you do that? Just leave the grounds?" She questioned in disbelief.

"Well an ordinary student can't, but I'm no ordinary student," he stated smugly.

She rolled her eyes at him but eagerly reciprocated his kiss when his lips landed on hers once again. He lifted her off of her feet and carried her towards the winged back chair closest to the fireplace. He knew that he should probably be focusing on Horcruxes, or non-verbal magic, or something more important than what his most basic instincts were telling him to do. But he had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't get to spend much more time with her, so he wasn't about to pass it up. He wasn't that disciplined.

Hermione chuckled as he dropped his mouth to her neck. "Here?"

"Why not?" He retorted with a grin. He glanced around the room and observed the environment and the materials that they had been using to train for months. He realized that none of it exactly set the appropriate mood, but the fireplace was nice. "We could go out and change the room if you want."

She shook her head and slipped her fingers underneath the collar of his oxford. "No, this is fine."

"Are you sure?" He persisted.

"Yes, Draco," she chuckled. "Now just kiss me."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Harry stared at the canopy of his four-poster bed as he tried to force his eyes shut. Sleep was evading him and he knew why. His mind was not plagued by thoughts of Horcruxes, or Voldemort, or Ginny. Tonight, he couldn't get Malfoy out of his head.

After a few more moments, he quietly slipped out of his bed and pulled the Marauder's Map out of his trunk. He climbed back onto the bed and laid the map on his bed sheets. He lit his wand before he tapped the seemingly blank parchment with the tip and muttered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Despite the fact that he was trying to trust Malfoy and take to heart the things that Lupin had told him over Christmas, he couldn't ignore his gut. And his gut told him that tonight Malfoy had seemed even more suspicious than usual.

Harry couldn't resist. He had to keep tabs on his classmate to satisfy his blooming curiosity.

His eyes swept over the map and all of the moving, labelled black dots until he found Malfoy. To Harry's disappointment, Malfoy was in the Slytherin Common Room. There was nothing suspicious about that.

But he wasn't about to give up so easily.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

January progressed into February and February slowly faded into March. Hogwarts life, classes and Quidditch, continued as normal for most students. Draco, as he had told Granger, was no ordinary student. He was just trying to keep up appearances, he was in survival mode. He suffered through Quidditch practice, Prefect duties, lessons, and homework while he continued to struggle to figure out that damn cabinet. He had also been making trips back and forth to the Manor in an effort to solve the Horcrux mystery. He had to make quick, irregular trips in order to avoid Filch and Hagrid on the grounds and his Aunt Bellatrix at his home. Unfortunately, he hadn't found anything of real value yet.

He would need to ask his mother soon.

In addition to all of that, he took every available opportunity to sneak off with Granger. He couldn't let his responsibilities take over his life so much that he had to cut her out of it. She was the only bright spot that he had. He wasn't sure if he would be able to keep going without her.

"How exactly are you getting back and forth to the Manor?" She asked him curiously one night as they lay next to each other on the top of the Astronomy Tower. "Are you flying? Because it isn't exactly a short journey. How are you doing it?"

He turned to her and winked. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you," he responded playfully.

She laughed as she smacked his chest with the back of her hand. "You're so mysterious."

"You know that there are things that I can't tell you, right?" He asked her in a much more serious tone. "Things that are better not to know?"

She nodded slowly and whispered, "Yeah, I know." She gulped before she added, "Like what you're doing for Voldemort?"

"Yeah," he breathed, "exactly."

He loved talking to her. He loved the twists and turns that their conversations took and the intimate secrets that they revealed and the debates that they engaged in, but he knew that right now wasn't a good time for them to talk about his mission or the war. He was tempted to tell her far more than he should. He was tempted to ask her for help and he knew that he couldn't do that. He was trying to protect her by keeping her in the dark and he wanted to keep it that way…he _had_ to keep it that way. He couldn't tell her what he was doing. He was afraid that she would want to become more involved, or far worse, he was afraid of what she would think of him for taking on such a task.

He reached down and wrapped his hand around the back of her knee. He hitched her leg around his hip and caressed the bare skin between her stocking and her skirt. "I love your legs," he grinned. "Have I ever told you that?" He smiled to himself as his eyes stared at the patterns that his fingers traced on her skin.

"Why do I think that you're just trying to change the subject?"

He raised his head at the sound of her voice. "Because you're far too smart for your own good. That brain of yours is going to get you in trouble one of these days, Granger."

"I think it already has," she murmured. She tentatively reached forward and tenderly ran her fingers along his cheek. "You look really tired. You're not getting enough sleep," she stated.

He let his eyelids flutter closed as he leaned into her touch. "There are not enough hours in the day to do what I have to do."

"You should be in bed," she scolded.

"No," he protested, "I want to be here with you." He shifted closer to her and laid his head on her abdomen. "Just let me lie here for a few more minutes, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered.

She started to run her fingers through his fine hair and he could feel himself drifting off to sleep.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Harry's frustrations regarding Malfoy only increased as time passed. During their meetings, the Slytherin's demeanour was even more closed off than usual. The blonde boy was incredibly hard to read so Harry had no idea what he was thinking or planning. What was obvious was that he was short-tempered, moody, and he was starting to appear gaunt and ill.

When Malfoy wasn't in his vicinity, he consulted the Marauder's Map as often as he could, like he had in September when they had first been forced to work together. It seemed as if Malfoy was leaving the castle again. It was as if he didn't even exist according to the map, Harry was rarely able to locate him. He could rarely find him in the usual places like the Great Hall, the Slytherin Common Room, and the Quidditch Pitch.

Was he actually leaving the grounds? Was he cloaking himself in some way?

Harry had absolutely no idea and it was starting to eat away at him. Malfoy's disappearances made him even more suspicious of his so called ally's actions and motives.

But there had to be a reasonable explanation. The Marauder's Map didn't get things wrong.

Harry was toying with the idea of tailing Malfoy with the Invisibility Cloak but where would he find the time?

A thought occurred to him as he lay in his bed one night. Maybe he didn't need to find the time. Maybe _he_ didn't need to tail him…

Maybe he just needed…

"Kreacher?" He called quietly into the darkness of his room.

**A/N: **So, like in HBP, Harry will get some house elves to follow Malfoy. What do you think they'll find? ;)

Please leave a review! :)


	25. Hogsmeade Weekend

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 25 – Hogsmeade Weekend**

Ron grunted and clumsily hoisted Lavender onto the large desk in the empty classroom that they had snuck into on a Friday evening. They were going to Hogsmeade tomorrow, since it was his birthday weekend, but he thought that this was a pretty brilliant present too.

Snogging with his girlfriend was a great way to spend the night.

…But he hoped that they would do a little more than snogging.

Lavender tightly grasped his shirt, having removed his sweater earlier, and kissed him hungrily.

It was a little sloppy but he wasn't about to complain…not anytime soon anyway.

No other girls were lining up to snog him.

She pushed him away with a giggle when his hands started to slip underneath her skirt. "Ron, stop it."

"Oh, come on," he whined petulantly.

"Be patient," the blonde grinned mischievously.

Ron groaned in annoyance but returned to kissing her on the mouth to distract himself. He didn't want to think of himself as one of those blokes that was only dating a girl for sex…but that was sort of the truth…except for the fact that he wasn't actually having sex with Lavender. She teased and she teased, but that was it. They didn't do anything even close to sex.

He had thought that getting into this relationship would give him a much needed ego boost, a heightened social status, and some other added benefits. He had been drastically mistaken. In reality, this relationship was a gigantic pain in the arse. Lavender was clingy and annoying, and far too girly for his taste. He liked his women to be a little more independent. He didn't see the need to be with someone every minute of every day.

She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, it interrupted his train of thought, and he groaned in response.

But when she did things like that it made her a bit more tolerable.

They kissed for a few more minutes before her hands dropped to his belt. He stilled and looked down at her hands in disbelief.

"Really?" He questioned in an embarrassingly high-pitched voice.

"Well, not t-that," she stammered, "but something."

He nodded repeatedly and kissed her before she could change her mind. His fingers gripped her waist when she slipped a hand into his trousers. His mouth dropped to her neck, and after placing a quick kiss on the exposed skin there, he pressed his face against her shoulder and did his best to even out his breathing.

Her grip around his length tightened and he exhaled in staggered, short breaths. This felt much better than his own hand. Lavender began to slowly move her hand up and down and he couldn't contain his groan. "Merlin, Hermione…"

His eyes flew open as he processed the words that he had just spoken aloud. He had called her Hermione. He tentatively raised his head and faced Lavender's enraged gaze. His mouth was open in shock, and stupidity, as he tried to scramble to find the appropriate apology.

"What did you just say?" Lavender questioned very slowly.

"Um, nothing, I said nothing!" He retorted squeakily.

Lavender placed both of her hands on his chest and angrily pushed him back so that she could hop off of the desk. "I can't believe you just said _her_ name!" She shrieked.

"It was an accident," he bellowed back. "It doesn't mean anything! She's my friend!"

"Friends?" She repeated incredulously. "Don't make me laugh," she replied bitterly. "You two barely speak anymore! _I'm _your girlfriend."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh believe me, I know."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She snapped as she placed both of her hands on her hips.

He turned away from her and tossed his hands up in the air in frustration. "You're suffocating! You're like a bad case of dragon pox!" He blurted out.

"Well excuse me for caring about you!"

He smacked his hand to his forehead and groaned. He had thought about breaking up with her numerous times, but it wasn't exactly easy. He didn't want to seem like the bad guy, but that's quickly what he was turning into. He wasn't exactly the most experienced or sensitive guy, he wasn't good at these things. He just wanted all of this to end as easily and nicely as possible.

Was that too much to ask?

Due to his silence, Lavender spoke again. "Do you consider our relationship to be serious Ronald?"

He stared at her in disbelief and all of the things that came to his mind were inappropriate for the situation. Thankfully, he was able to control his mouth for once. She wiped a few tears from her eyes and he felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't wanted to make her cry. He called her name softly but she shook her head firmly as a sign that she didn't want to hear anymore.

"We're over. Don't talk to me." She spun on her heel and headed towards the door. "Have fun chasing Hermione Granger!"

Ron winced as the slamming of the door echoed in the empty classroom. That hadn't exactly been the amicable breakup that he had hoped for.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione stood at one of the conjured workbenches in their Room of Requirement and looked down into her cauldron as she stirred it diligently. Anybody else would probably complain about doing this on a Friday night but she found it to be incredibly proactive.

Draco was taking even more precautions in case they ever needed to go on the run and while it unnerved her, she appreciated its practicality. Tonight they were brewing Polyjuice Potion. It had a use that she was very familiar with, and it also helped them study for N.E.W.T. level Potions.

She bit her lip to contain her laughter as she felt Draco hovering behind her. In the past few minutes, he had become very distracting. Obviously he had a bit more difficulty concentrating on a Friday than she did. "You're breathing on my neck," she told him in amusement.

"Oh, am I?" He hummed.

"Yeah," she chuckled, "you are."

He gathered her hair to one side and placed a kiss on her exposed neck. "It's easy to get side-tracked by watching you work," he murmured. "I forgot what potion you were brewing there for a second. Your technique is very attractive."

She tilted her head to the side as he continued to trail kisses up her neck. Now he was trying to distract _her_ from her work. "Don't," she warned. "We're working."

"Are we?" He inquired mischievously.

"Yes, we are," she laughed. "This is a delicate potion." She slipped out of his arms and created a sizeable distance between them. "We don't have to give into our hormones all of time," she told him seriously. They had been doing that far too frequently in her opinion. They had been acting like rabbits, as Muggles would say, all over the castle and that was certainly against Hogwarts' rules.

He grinned sexily, "But it's so fun." She felt her cheeks heat as he advanced towards her. He plucked at a button on her sweater and tugged her forward. "Granger," he whispered huskily.

She couldn't control herself when he said her name like that. "That's not fair."

He smiled at her rather sadly before he responded. "Life's not fair." A grin quickly took over his face again and she knew that he wasn't feeling very serious tonight. "But that doesn't mean that I can't get under your skirt."

She laughed and shyly looked away from him. "One track mind," she murmured. He may be the most complicated boy that she had ever met, but he was still a _boy_, and therefore, he still thought about sex more than he thought about anything else. "Are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" She asked to change the subject.

"I think so," he replied thoughtfully. "Are you?" She nodded and so he immediately suggested, "Maybe we could meet up?"

Her eyebrows shot into her hairline. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"We would be discreet Granger. I think that's one thing that we have gotten quite good at it."

She thought about his suggestion for a moment before she gave him a soft smile. It would be nice to spend some time with him outside of the castle. "Okay," she replied happily. "I'm sure that we can arrange something."

He took another step towards her and licked his lips before he spoke. "Maybe you could meet my friends? Well, you've already met them," he stumbled, "but actually get to know them."

"Your friends?" She repeated.

"Yeah," he laughed. "Despite popular belief, I do have them."

She chuckled and felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment. "That's not what I meant." She knew that it wasn't a complete loner. "I just…uh…who are you referring to?"

"Theo and Daph."

"You told them about me?" She questioned worriedly.

"I did," he responded calmly. "I had to over Christmas. They understand," he implored. "In fact, one might say they're even supportive."

She stared at him in shock. Supportive? That didn't seem right, but to be fair, she didn't know that much about her two classmates so who was she to say how they were supposed to react. Daphne Greengrass had always been polite to her, perhaps surprisingly so considering the girl was a Slytherin, and a popular one at that. She was intimidatingly beautiful, almost uncomfortable to be around. When she walked, it looked like she was floating. On the other hand, she hadn't interacted with Theodore Nott much at all. He was pretty quiet in class, he didn't play Quidditch, and he hadn't really engaged in taunting her and her friends over the years. She had heard that he was a little bit of a jokester, he didn't take much seriously.

They were both pure-bloods…But she didn't want to rely on hearsay or house stereotypes.

"Umm, okay," she answered hesitantly. "That will be nice, as long as we're careful."

Although, it would make everything between them more…_real_, and that was slightly terrifying for her. It seemed as if Draco was letting her into a different part of his life every day. She doubted that he had ever opened up to anyone else like that. It definitely made her like him even more but it also concerned her a great deal.

Her mother's words echoed in her head once again.

_"He looks at you like he would do anything for you."_

She cleared her head and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "That will be nice," she repeated. She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss before she suggested, "Let's stop working for tonight." They had successfully completed the first stage of the potion and she wasn't in the mood to start the second.

He agreed immediately and snaked his arms around her waist. "Sounds good to me."

She kissed him quickly three more times before she whispered, "Let's go to the Astronomy Tower instead."

"Okay," he murmured against her lips.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

He and Granger quickly tidied away the Room of Requirement before they headed across the castle. It was late enough that they were unlikely to run into anyone, and if they did, they could claim that they were doing Prefect rounds together.

They quietly ascended the Astronomy Tower's staircase and were surprised to hear footsteps that were not their own. They exchanged a suspicious look before they abruptly stopped walking and carefully paid attention to the quiet voices that they could hear overhead.

"You take far too much for granted. Have you ever considered that I might not want to do this anymore?"

Draco furrowed his brow in confusion. He knew that voice, the bitter tone, the careful, slow pronunciations. It could only be one person.

The footsteps increased their pace and got closer, and Draco was unsurprised to come face to face with his godfather.

"Professor?"

Snape looked at him closely with narrowed eyes before he cast a meaningful glance towards his companion. "Miss Granger, I suggest that you and Mr. Malfoy return to your dormitories."

"Yes, Professor Snape," Granger replied politely.

Draco swallowed nervously as he watched Snape disappear down the stairs. The older man definitely knew that something was going on between him and Granger. He could tell by the way that he had looked at him. He just hoped that the man would never directly ask him about it. He couldn't lie to him after all.

He and Granger hadn't had a chance to move before the Headmaster passed them. So that's who Snape had been talking to.

"Professor Dumbledore," Granger yelped in surprise.

"Goodnight Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore replied with a small smile.

"Goodnight Headmaster," Draco mumbled.

He waited until he could no longer hear footsteps before he spoke again. "That was _strange_."

She nodded in agreement. "Very. What do you think they were talking about?"

"No idea," he shrugged.

She chewed on her bottom lip. "Maybe we should go to bed."

He nodded a tad reluctantly. "Yeah." He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yes," she smiled softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He gave her a quick kiss in parting before he strode at a swift pace towards the dungeons. He had a sinking feeling that Dumbledore and Snape had been talking about him, but he couldn't be sure.

"_Have you ever considered that I might not want to do this anymore?"_

What if what Snape didn't want to do anymore was help protect him?

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

The next day, Hermione met Draco in the one place in Hogsmeade that she was sure nobody would find them: in the Shrieking Shack. It was dirty and dusty, and as unappealing as one could imagine, but it wasn't nearly as scary as people thought it was. It wasn't truly haunted after all, that was just a strategically placed rumour. However, she did feel a shiver run up her spine when she first entered the building, perhaps because the first and only time that she had been in here had been the first time that she had met Sirius Black.

She walked into the main room and found Draco standing with his back to her. He had his hands tucked into the pockets of a long, dark coat and his hair was wet from the falling snow outside.

"Hey," she called softly.

He twirled around and faced her with a smile. "Hey, you made it."

"I did," she nodded. "I wasn't sure if I would, but…" She trailed off as she thought about how long she had needed to mindlessly wander around the small village in order to avoid suspicion. Luckily, she had managed to lose Harry when they had run into Fred and George. "I'm here," she sighed.

Draco walked towards her with a concerned expression. "You okay?"

She nodded automatically and replied, "I'm fine." She turned away from him for a moment before she made a confession. "You think I'd be used to all of this sneaking around. I'm Harry Potter's friend," she joked weakly. "But this feels different."

He looked at her and she could see the sympathy written all over his face. He placed both of his hands on her upper arms and whispered, "Yeah, I know, but what else can we do?"

She knew that that was a rhetorical question so she remained silent. She had picked the very worst person if her biggest wish was to have a public relationship. She was with a Death Eater for Merlin's sake! But this entire situation was causing her some extreme anxiety, and running into two professors last night and ditching Harry today had only intensified those anxieties.

She was afraid that she was going to give herself a stomach ulcer.

Draco must have picked up on her worries because he took a step backwards and his expression hardened, it was almost reminiscent of a sneer. "There's nothing keeping you here Granger. If you want to leave, I won't stop you. You don't have to worry about _hurting my feelings_; we can end this if you want."

"I never said that," she snapped defensively. "You always jump to the worst conclusions. Why do you do that?"

He grumbled and turned away from her. "Habit I suppose," he murmured. "The Malfoys don't exactly believe in positive thinking."

She stepped up to him and placed her hands on his back. "Well you should try it sometime," she whispered. She paused before she added, "I don't want to end this." He slowly pivoted around to face her and she stared at him, clearly displaying the strong will that she was known for. "I don't."

"Okay," he replied as a smile slowly spread across his face. "But if you ever do just—"

She cut him off by placing her mouth against in a rough kiss. Her hands impatiently pulled on the buttons of his coat as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. "You talk too much," she told him in between kisses.

"Hypocrite," he retorted playfully.

She laughed and finally slipped her hands inside of his thick coat. She only pulled away from him when she heard the howl of the wind from outside. "What was that?"

"We're expecting company, remember?" He reminded her.

"Right," she sighed. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little on edge."

She turned towards the doorway and smiled politely when their two Slytherin guests entered. Her smile turned nervous as she ran a hand through her rather untameable hair. Daphne Greengrass looked impeccable as always and Theodore Nott's arm was wrapped around her waist.

"Hey Drake," the Slytherin boy grinned. "You look a little sullen."

Hermione turned to him with a grin. "Drake?" She thought that the nickname was rather adorable.

Draco ignored her comment but grabbed her hand. "You all know each other," he began. "But, Theodore Nott and Daphne Greengrass, this is Hermione Granger."

"You can call me Theo," the dark haired boy smiled as he extended his hand.

Hermione looked down at his thin hand for a moment before she reacted appropriately. She supposed that she had already made her judgements because she had not expected him to shake her hand. "It's nice to really meet you," she smiled widely.

She had already tossed aside most of her previous judgements for Draco, so she was going to have to do it for his friends as well.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

"I love her," Daphne declared before she took a sip from her glass. The expression on her face quickly turned to one of disgust. "I have no idea what that is," she said gesturing towards her drink, "but it's disgusting."

After leaving the Shrieking Shack and Hermione, the three Slytherins had decided to grab a drink at the only bar that would serve them. The looks that they received when they walked into the Three Broomsticks were terribly uncomfortable so they avoided the establishment all together. They had no choice but to frequent the Hog's Head, but unfortunately, nothing that the barman served was very enjoyable. Draco and Theo stomached the alcoholic drinks but clearly Daphne was not about to go along with them.

Draco had just wanted a quiet place where they could give him their thoughts on Hermione without fear of anyone overhearing, and the dingy little bar was perfect for that.

"You really like her?"

Although he had done his best not to show it, he had been very nervous about Hermione spending time with his two closest friends. They may be two of the nicest people in Slytherin House but he had been unsure if old pure-blood prejudices would resurface. Thankfully, they hadn't. Theo and Daphne had seemed very comfortable as they had sat on the floor of the Shrieking Shack and spent the afternoon getting to know Hermione Granger the way that he did.

Daphne nodded emphatically. "She's just as brilliant as everyone says she is."

"And foxy," Theo chimed in.

Daphne elbowed him in the side and he looked down at the table sheepishly. "More importantly," she continued, "she seems to make you very happy."

"Yeah mate, and I don't know if I've even seen you happy since I've known you."

Draco turned to Theo and laughed humorlessly, "Ha ha, very funny."

Theo laughed before he furrowed his brow and turned serious. "Really though, you seem happy with her." He draped his arm over Daphne's shoulders and smiled. "It's nice to see."

"Thanks," he murmured. "I'm glad you guys had a good time and just don't—"

"We know that we can't tell anyone," Theo interrupted. "We're not stupid."

Draco nodded. "I know. I just felt the need to remind you." He turned to Daphne and saw that she had her lips pursed pensively. "What are you thinking about, Daph?"

"What's going to happen between you two when the war _really_ starts? When which side you're on is out in the open? What happens then?" She asked him quietly.

Draco gulped and answered her honestly. "I try not to think about that as much as possible."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Harry walked into the sixth-year boys' dormitory and saw that Ron was still in bed with the bed covers pulled up over his head. He hadn't gotten out of bed all day; he hadn't even gone to Hogsmeade even though it was his birthday weekend.

Harry couldn't help but find it incredibly odd. No one had been more excited for this weekend than Ron.

He dropped a package of sweets from Honeydukes on Ron's bed and announced, "I brought you back something."

The top of Ron's head emerged so that he could see a mop of ginger hair. "What is it?" Ron mumbled.

"Get up out of bed and find out," Harry told him in annoyance.

Ron groaned and grumbled before he flung his bed covers aside and sat up in bed. He grabbed the package at the foot of his bed and opened it as quickly as he had opened his birthday presents this morning.

"What is going on with you?" Harry demanded.

Ron stuffed his mouth with a cauldron cake before he responded. "Lavender and I broke up."

Harry stared at him in confusion. "I thought she was driving you mental. Shouldn't you be happy that you guys broke up?"

"Well yeah," Ron sighed. "But it just…it could have gone better is all…"

Harry sat down on the edge of his bed and inquired, "What happened?"

Ron turned bright red. "Nothing."

Harry was incredibly confused. Obviously _something_ had happened. Ron had been acting like a coward for months and Lavender was absolutely smitten with him. Something had happened to cause their breakup. "What happened?" He asked again.

"Nothing!" Ron exclaimed before he placed the pile of sweets on his bedside table and tossed the covers over his head once more. "Leave me alone Harry!"

"Okay, okay," Harry conceded. "I'll leave you alone."

"And don't ask her about it either!"

Ron's voice was muffled but his message was clear. "I won't," Harry responded firmly. He wasn't _that_ interested in their failed relationship. He was more interested in finding out why Ron was acting like his mother had sent him another set of hand-me-down dress robes.

**A/N: **So one relationship ends will another gets more serious. Do you think Snape is going to confront Draco? Leave me a review! :)


	26. Fight and Flight

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 26 – Fight and Flight**

Draco fearfully opened the door to Snape's office and walked towards the chair in front of the desk. His Head of House and godfather had gotten a first year to deliver him a summons at the Great Hall. He knew what this meeting was about, and it wasn't something that he wanted to discuss.

He had quickly realized that his mission was just as important to Snape as it was to him so his insecurities regarding Snape's protection of him quickly vanished. It was impossible that Snape's complaint about not wanting to do something anymore was referring to him and their arrangement. But with that thought out of the way, more concern had grown over the older man catching him with Granger late at night. It had to be what this meeting was about, and he believed that the topic should be off limits. It was his personal life, and that was no one else's business. Unfortunately he had made an Unbreakable Vow, so nothing was off limits anymore.

"You wanted to see me, Professor," Draco finally spoke.

His voice prompted the older man, who had been standing with his back to him behind the desk, turn around and looked at him carefully. "You've been…happy since you returned from the holiday."

Draco blinked, trying to appear as if he was incredibly confused. "I suppose," he answered slowly.

Snape lowered himself into his chair while never breaking eye contact. Draco shifted uncomfortably in his seat under his gaze. The man could intimidate with just a stare like nobody else but he was not about to let the Potions Master into his head.

"You're closing your mind," Snape commented calmly.

"I don't have to tell you what I'm thinking all the time," Draco snapped defensively. "I'd like to keep a few things to myself if you don't mind."

Snape pursed his lips in disapproval as he stroked the quill on his desk. "You've been spending a lot of time with Miss Granger," he insinuated.

"Because you told me to," he retorted quickly.

"A lot of time," Snape continued as if Draco hadn't spoken, "and at odd hours…like the other night at the Astronomy Tower."

Draco gulped, his godfather was getting to the point, albeit painfully slowly. He knew that Snape would be much happier with him if he just confessed, the more that the older man had to pry for information the more irritated he would become, but Draco just couldn't bring himself to form the words. His tongue felt like lead in his mouth.

Maybe he was just the coward that everyone accused him of being.

After a deafening silence, Snape spoke with a harsh edge to his voice. "Draco, what is going on between you and Miss Granger?"

Draco opened his mouth to answer but caught himself before words could slip out. He had been about to lie and a lie meant death. He closed his mouth and averted his gaze towards the floor. It didn't matter now because not answering his question was just as telling as if he had detailed to Snape everything that he and Granger had done together. What was going on between them was very obvious now.

"You are incredibly stupid," Snape sighed.

Draco hung his head in shame. He already knew that. He was stupid and self-serving, and a coward.

"I know," he murmured.

"Do you know how easily this could get you both killed?" Snape asked as he rested his forehead against his palm. "Don't answer that," he snapped quickly. "You should already know the answer to that question."

Draco huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I do know that," he stated defensively. I know, but I—"

Snape raised a single hand as a signal that he did not want to hear any explanations. "Concentrate on your mission and your studies. That should be your priority, not your libido."

The blonde boy furrowed his brow in confusion and then anger. "What exactly are you saying? Are you asking me to—?"

Snape interrupted him yet again and finished his question. "Stay away from her? Yes, yes I am."

Draco's first instinct was to jump to his feet but he managed to control himself. He sat a little straighter in his chair and crossed one leg over the other. He appeared calm but on the inside he was boiling with rage and he knew that Snape could see his emotions in his eyes. And he was making no effort to shield his mind either. He wanted Snape to know exactly how he was feeling at the moment.

He had expected a scolding, a reprimand, but he had not expected this. He had not imagined that Snape would react the same exact way that his father would. He was being forbidden from having something and he had never handed that well.

"And what if I don't?" He challenged.

Snape coldly narrowed his black eyes and rose to his feet. "I took an oath to protect you. I told your mother that I would do everything in my power to help you. But ultimately Draco, you have to help yourself." He loomed over the younger man rather menacingly. "Don't be reckless. You cannot act like a sixteen-year-old boy anymore. It will not get you through this. Stay away from her," he told him one last time.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Harry sat in the corner of the Gryffindor Common Room with his head buried in the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book. Hermione always said that he was way too fascinated with the text but he wasn't in the mood to do anything else. He didn't want to work on the essay that Snape had assigned in Defence Against the Dark Arts, he hadn't made any progress in obtaining Slughorn's real memory, and his two best friends were absent. Ron was hiding in their dormitory, away from his seething ex-girlfriend and Hermione had fled to the library. She had been acting rather odd over the past two weeks but she refused to talk about anything besides school and Harry wasn't entirely sure what to ask anyway. He had no idea what was bothering her.

His fingers traced over a spell that the Prince had scribbled in the margin. _Sectumsempra – For Enemies_. He was immediately intrigued, all of the other spells that the Prince had invented were brilliant. He would have to try it someday.

He withheld a groan when he felt his fake Galleon burn in his pocket. He pulled the coin out and read the text.

_Potter: Meet me now._

Harry reluctantly got to his feet and tossed his book into his bag. He slowly shuffled across the room and through the portrait hole. One of the very last things that he wanted to do was meet Malfoy. He would rather work on Snape's essay. He still didn't know what the Slytherin was up to. He had given up obsessively searching the Marauder's Map for him and he was allowing the house elves that he had set on Malfoy a little more time to collect information before they reported back to him. He was anxious to hear what they had seen, if in fact they had seen anything, but he was trying to tame his impatience. Whatever Malfoy was doing, he was doing it very patiently, so Harry knew that he would have to behave that way as well.

And he didn't want to confront Malfoy, or worse, spook him, until the perfect moment.

Malfoy hadn't been acting particularly unusual lately, not really anyway. Some of the spirit that he had possessed a few months ago had disappeared and he was much more like the Slytherin boy that Harry had always known. His mood was still terrible, and he only met Harry on a one-on-one basis nowadays. The only point of real concern was that he had appeared to have rapidly lost weight. Harry had noticed previously that he had started to appear ill, but now he was much paler than usual, and he constantly rubbed his temples as if he had a permanent migraine.

Harry wasn't sure if he was actually sick or if something else was getting to him…like what he was doing for Voldemort.

Harry stepped into the Room of Requirement and found Draco standing in front of the fireplace.

"What's going on?" He asked cautiously.

The Slytherin shrugged. "I heard that you had another lesson with Dumbledore and I thought that we could duel a little bit."

Harry nodded a tad reluctantly. He knew that he was required to share his lessons with Malfoy but it still felt rather wrong.

"More trophies," Malfoy muttered after he had finished telling him about Helga Hufflepuff's cup. "Interesting."

The blonde stroked his head as he pondered and Harry watched him closely. Malfoy was clearly giving the memory a tad more thought than Harry had and he began to wonder if he was missing something. "Anyway," he interrupted. "The other memory that Dumbledore showed me was his own. Voldemort came back to Hogwarts and asked for a teaching position."

"Why?" Malfoy questioned incredulously.

"Influence," Harry responded matter-of-factly.

Malfoy quickly nodded in understanding. "Ahh, he wanted to mold minds."

"He wanted to create Death Eaters," Harry corrected harshly.

Malfoy smirked sardonically. "Well he didn't need a teaching job to do that now, did he? So why did he really return to Hogwarts?"

Once again, Harry was surprised; Malfoy was much more perceptive than he gave him credit for. He had jumped to the same exact conclusion as Dumbledore: that Voldemort had possessed some ulterior motive for returning to Hogwarts that night. "We 're not sure," Harry sighed. "Maybe because Hogwarts was the only place that ever truly felt like home?"

Malfoy licked his lips and the Gryffindor could tell that he was thinking about something important. When he spoke, Harry was not entirely surprised by what he had to say. "From all that I've learned, there seems to be quite a few similarities between you and the young Dark Lord."

"I try not to think about it," he answered hoarsely.

Malfoy waved his hand dismissively. "Understandable." He promptly hopped to his feet and pulled his wands out of his robes. "Let's duel."

Harry shook his head. "Why don't you practice your Patronus instead?"

The blonde noticeably bristled and tensed his shoulders. "I'd rather not."

Speaking of similarities with Voldemort, Harry thought to himself. "It's because you don't believe in it. You're never going to be able to conjure a Patronus until you believe in it."

"Believe in what?" Malfoy asked in annoyance.

"That love is a powerful form of magic. Voldemort doesn't believe it either."

Harry knew that Voldemort believed in power, but he wasn't sure what Draco Malfoy believed. His peer had grown up with two doting parents, they had given him everything that he had ever wanted, but he wasn't sure if they had ever truly been loving. He had been doused in propaganda about pure blood and magical heritage and superiority. Harry would not call him evil but he clearly didn't understand what it meant to have true friends or sincere feelings.

Malfoy looked off into the distance and for a moment, a wave of sympathy washed over Harry. He actually looked sad.

"Yeah, well," Malfoy finally replied rather miserably. "I'll believe it when I see it." He tucked his wand back into his robes and declared. "And if we're not going to duel than I'm going to leave."

Harry opened his mouth, but before he could protest or yell, Malfoy was already to the door.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco slipped out of the Room of Requirement and made his way towards the Astronomy Tower. He needed some time to clear his head before he went to bed.

He had been doing exactly what Snape had told him to do. He was staying away from Granger and it was certainly taking its toll on him.

Potter was right; he didn't believe that love was a powerful form of magic, at least not so much so that it could defeat the Dark Lord. But something awful was happening to him. He barely slept. He had no appetite. He stared off into space during lessons and he attended Quidditch practice on autopilot. His heart wasn't in anything anymore, not even fixing the Vanishing Cabinet.

And it was all Granger's fault.

He had known that she put him at ease…She gave him peace…She made him happy…Just being in her presence made him feel like a better person. But he had never imagined that staying away from her would have this drastic of an effect on him. He had done a perfectly good job of it for his first five years at Hogwarts!

She had messed him up so royally that he could barely function now without her, and he had to blame it on love. He could find no other way to explain this. It wasn't obsession. It wasn't lust. It wasn't possessiveness. He had experienced all of those emotions before and it did not fit this situation.

He was pretty sure that he was in love…for the first time in his life. He was in love…with a Mudblood.

That Shakespeare bloke had had some pretty interesting things to say about star-crossed lovers.

He reached the top of the Astronomy Tower and took a small step back in shock. A very familiar figure was leaning over the railing, and her fluffy orange cat was standing beside her.

Even though this was kind of their place, he was still surprised to see her.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered.

She turned around and crossly folded her arms against her chest. "You've been ignoring me. Actually, you've been blatantly avoiding me. For two weeks."

"I don't know what to say," he responded as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Well say something," she demanded shrilly.

He just shrugged. She had no idea why he had recently withdrawn from her and he couldn't tell her why. She wouldn't understand. She would try to help him and that wasn't an option. "I just don't know, Granger," he repeated.

He could see that she was becoming emotional, and not in a way that he had seen before, at least not towards him. She didn't appear terrifying or fearless at the moment, she looked small and broken, and he could see a faint glistening in her eyes. It broke his heart.

"You told me…you said," she spoke raspingly. She took a deep breath before she trudged forward. "You said that if I wanted to leave, if I wanted to end this then all I have to do is say so. So now I'm giving you the same out. Do you want to end this?"

He swallowed harshly and stared down at his leather shoes. He had never done something like this before. In his past relationships, he had been all too eager to end things. This wasn't like that.

However, he was an expert at making people loath him, at pushing people away. He could do it again, one more time, for her.

…To make things easier for both of them in the long run.

He raised his head and narrowed his eyes. "Yes," he declared firmly. "I want to end this." He tilted his head to side and plastered a cocky smile on his face. "I had fun though. You're a good shag."

She raised her chin, held her head high, and it was as if a flash of fire appeared in her eyes. He had baited her and it had worked. That had been all that she had needed to hear. She wasn't sad anymore, she was furious instead.

She stormed past him in a rage but he distinctly heard her say. "You'll never change. I was a fool to think otherwise."

He didn't move a muscle as he listened to her footsteps run down the stairs. Crookshanks followed after her slowly and he could have sworn that the feline even glared at him.

**A/N: **Do you think Hermione is going to give up that easily or will she have something else to say to him?

For all of you Theodore Nott fans, he will be in the next chapter! Please leave a review! :)


	27. The Writing's on the Wall

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate it more than you know.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 27 – The Writing's on the Wall**

Hermione spent the next several days trying to think about anything other than Draco Malfoy. She buried herself in her homework, and even helped Harry and Ron with their homework, which she hadn't done since before Ron had started dating Lavender. She had spent a large amount of time talking to Harry about the best way to retrieve Slughorn's memory. She had flicked through every book in the library that she hadn't already read and she had even made a trip down to Hagrid's by herself.

Unfortunately, however, her determination to not think of him made her think about him even more. Stupid, smarmy ferret.

Since talking to him atop of the Astronomy Tower, it felt as if her entire body was shaking in rage, constantly, even while she slept. She could actually feel it in her blood and bones how mad she was at him. She couldn't believe that she had let herself get fooled by him. She was smarter than that, she should have known better.

She _had_ known better and yet she had gotten involved with him anyway. She had given into him; she had let him inside her head.

Hermione Granger had never felt so dumb in her entire life.

She hated seeing him in class and in the Great Hall and passing him in the castle, it made her feel like one of the fawning Slytherin girls that he had tossed aside over the years. She was not _that _girl and she absolutely hated feeling that way! She had sworn to herself after she had cried over Ron that she would never let a boy make her feel that way ever again.

So she certainly wasn't going to let _Draco Malfoy_ make her feel like she was an inch tall.

She slipped into the girls' loo in between Ancient Runes and Defence Against the Dark Arts after telling Harry and Ron that she would catch up with them.

When she emerged from a stall, she found that one of the last people that she wanted to see was the lavatory's only other occupant. It was Daphne Greengrass.

The brunette smiled at her and she did her best to force a smile back.

"How are you?" Daphne inquired politely.

"I'm fine, thank you," Hermione replied quietly as she washed her hands. "How are you?"

"Busy," she sighed. Daphne dried her hands before she turned to Hermione with a concerned expression. "He won't tell me what's going on but I know that whatever it is can't be good."

The Gryffindor's entire body tensed and she turned away from the other girl so that they didn't have to make eye contact. "I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"I know you're not seeing each other anymore," Daphne persisted. "And I know that something is eating away at him. He's practically withering away before my eyes and there's nothing that I can do because he won't talk to me!"

Hermione could hear the desperation in her voice and she was able to sympathize a great deal. Draco was one of Daphne's closest and oldest friends; she would probably feel just as distraught if the same thing was happening to Harry. But what was happening to Draco was not any of her business, not anymore; he had made sure of that. "Well it doesn't have anything to do with me," she responded rather coldly.

"Of course it does!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow and was slightly alarmed by the accusation. "I honestly have no idea. He doesn't talk to me anymore," she confessed. "We're…didn't end on good terms," she sighed.

Daphne Greengrass' eyes widened and she took a step backwards as if she had been physically struck. "What happened? Did you hurt him?"

Her eyes flashed dangerously and for the first time, Hermione saw some malice in Daphne Greengrass that Slytherins typically possessed. It was not an attractive look on the beautiful girl.

"No," she assured her. "It was his decision." Hermione took a deep, shuddering breath and she wasn't sure if she would be able to keep herself together if this conversation continued any longer. Daphne hadn't heard the things that he had said to her.

"_Yes. I want to end this. I had fun though. You're a good shag."_

"We should get to class," she murmured.

She moved towards the door but stopped when Daphne called out her name, her first name. She slowly turned around and faced the girl with her arms folded across her chest. Her body language was hostile but her facial expression was quite soft. She was genuinely interested in whatever the Slytherin girl had to say.

"He's not good at expressing himself," Daphne told her with a wistful smile. "Honestly, I think that emotions kind of repulse him," she chuckled. "But he's been different with you and I know so because I know him better than anyone else. You make him happier than anything I've ever seen so just remember that."

Hermione swallowed harshly before she slowly left the washroom. Daphne's words had had an interesting effect on her. She was experiencing a sense of relief combined with heightened confusion.

She walked into the candlelit classroom and took a seat next to Harry. The former Potions Master collected their essays before he started the lesson.

It wasn't long before Snape got into an argument with Seamus Finnigan about an article that he may or may not have read in the _Daily Prophet_.

"If you had actually read the article in question, Mr. Finnigan, you would have known that the so-called Inferius was nothing but a smelly sneak-thief by the name of Mundungus Fletcher," Snape drawled.

Harry leaned into her and whispered, "I thought Snape and Mundungus were on the same side?"

She squeezed her eyes shut in frustration when Snape heard Harry's hushed voice and called on him. Snape had always kept a close eye on Harry. "Mr. Potter seems to have a lot to say on the subject. Please tell us Potter, how would we tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost?"

Hermione sighed inwardly as she watched Harry's mouth drop open. He should know this, she thought. The only person their age who knew more about the Dark Arts than Harry was sitting on the other side of the classroom with his Slytherin mates.

"Well…ghosts are transparent," he finally answered.

"Oh, very good," Snape chirped, "it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. _Ghosts are transparent_."

She resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands as numerous other students snickered. Pansy Parkinson practically shrieked in enjoyment and all of the Slytherins chuckled, except Draco. She glanced over at him and saw that he was wearing a fairly sombre expression. She wasn't even sure if he was paying attention to what was happening around him.

Harry and Snape continued their heated dialogue about the difference between Inferi and ghosts while she discreetly observed Draco. He wasn't laughing or gossiping with his housemates, which was odd, and he wasn't even taking notes. He seemed completely spaced out.

"Well, what Harry said is the most useful, isn't it?" Ron stupidly jumped in. "When we come face to face with one down a dark alley, we're not going to be asking, 'Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?'"

There was a string of laughter while she rolled her eyes. The Slytherins didn't find it amusing either and neither did Lavender Brown. The girl was staring at Ron like she wanted to snap him like a twig. Hermione had no idea what had happened between the two formerly inseparable lovers, and she really didn't care. It was just strange that they had spontaneously broken up and now they barely spoke to each other.

"Ten points from Gryffindor," Snape told the class. "I would expect nothing more sophisticated from you, Ronald Weasley, the boy so solid he cannot Apparate half an inch across a room."

Harry bristled and she quickly placed a calming hand on his forearm. "Don't," she warned in a whisper. "It's not worth it. You'll just end up in detention."

Harry, for once, did as he was told, and remained silent.

Snape spoke again and trudged forward with his planned lesson. "Now open your books…"

She flipped through her textbook and tried to focus on Snape's lecture about the Cruciatus Curse, but her attention kept drifting to the other side of the room where Draco mindlessly twirled his quill between his fingers. Every so often he would glance up and make eye contact with her and somehow that bothered her even more than when he blatantly ignored her.

She turned her head back towards the front of the classroom and Snape, but she could feel his eyes on her. Like they were burning a hole through her skin. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, obsessively crossing and uncrossing her legs. If he didn't want anything to do with her than why was he staring at her?

It made her incredibly angry, and she remembered what Daphne Greengrass had said to her. None of it made any sense to her and she needed answers. She wouldn't move on until she had some concrete, honest answers.

So after class, she tracked Draco down on the seventh floor and requested the first thing from the Room of Requirement that popped into her mind. She pushed him, hard, towards the wall, which transformed into a broom closet at the last minute.

It was the first thing that had come to her mind!

She held him against the wall and pressed her wand to his throat. She knew that he could easily overpower her but he didn't even try to put up a fight.

"Tell me what's going on," she demanded. "I want the truth. For some reason I don't actually think you're as cruel as you were the other night."

"I think you may be underestimating me, Granger," he answered solemnly.

Over the course of their time together, Hermione had gotten quite good at reading his body language, especially his eyes, and right now, his eyes did not match his words. He was trying to sound arrogant and detached, but his eyes were a crisp blue, which typically meant that he was in a good mood.

…He was happy to see her.

"What's going on?" She asked again.

"Nothing," he answered quickly.

She groaned in frustration and pressed her wand harder underneath his chin. "You are so bloody infuriating."

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I made perfect, prissy Hermione Granger curse. I must be doing something right," he quipped.

She groaned again before she began to speak. "I ha—" She abruptly stopped herself from finishing her sentence. Somehow she couldn't even bring herself to say those words.

"Yeah, I know," he whispered. "I hate you too."

Without warning, he placed both of his hands on her face and brought his mouth down to join hers. She was initially taken aback but she responded to him eagerly as the hand holding her wand dropped to her side. He pushed her against the opposite wall of the closet as he lowered his hands to settle on her hips.

They kissed roughly as she placed her hands on his lower back and pulled him into her as tightly as she could. She even wrapped her legs around his calves to bring him in closer. She was desperate to feel him against her.

"I shouldn't be doing this with you," she murmured. Her words were more of a self-scolding than anything else. "You ignored me for two weeks."

"I'm sorry," he replied in a whisper as he gripped the back of her thighs and hitched her legs around his waist.

She had absolutely no idea if he was sincere or not, but as she thought about it she continued to kiss him. "That's all you have to say? After you said those awful things to me?"

He groaned as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Do you really want to get into this, Granger? Do you really want to know?"

"I don't think you really wanted to," she told him softly. "You're scared of something. What are you scared of?"

Silence filled the tiny broom closet and she could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her own. His breathing had increased and his eyes had darkened.

"Christ Granger," he finally panted. "I'm scared of everything."

She traced her fingers along the delicate features of his face as she stared at him in sympathy. Something was troubling him, deeply, and she just wished that he would tell her. He had been so honest with her when they had first gotten to know each other but he had secrets to keep, and she understood what he had told her previously, that some things were better not to know, but she just had the feeling that things would be…easier…if he told her the truth.

Maybe she could help him.

Instead of speaking, she eagerly pressed her mouth to his and he responded in kind. She knew that this probably wasn't the brightest idea, or the best way to deal with whatever was going on between them, but she was driven by instinct and desire.

Apparently, Draco Malfoy made her dumb in more ways than one.

His talented fingers trailed up her inner thighs and she whimpered as she hastily fiddled with his belt. He impatiently ran his tongue along her bottom lip and after a moment of teasing, she opened her mouth wider to let him inside. He grunted in approval when she finally unbuckled his belt and yanked down his zipper.

The thought that what she was doing with him right now was wrong had already solidified, but it hadn't occurred to her that _where _they were doing this was wrong. They were in a magical closet in the middle of a hallway on the seventh floor. Anybody could walk by and hear them. After a brief moment of debate, she non-verbally cast that stupid Prince spell as a precaution.

He lifted her higher into his arms and, without much warning, he ripped her underwear away from her body and pushed inside of her.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

She bit down on his bottom lip as she adjusted to him and the rough response actually turned him on. He liked making her lose control, sending prim and proper Hermione Granger into a tizzy was an accomplishment to be quite proud of. He held her close as he dropped his mouth to her neck and nipped at her pale skin. He was smart enough not to leave a mark but it was tempting.

"Draco," she panted heavily in his ear.

He grinned against her shoulder before he raised his head and kissed her mouth softly. "Yes Granger?" She furrowed her brow in anger and he couldn't help but find it kind of adorable. He chuckled before kissing her again. "Sorry."

"You're a prick, you know that right?" She breathed with a hint of amusement in her voice.

He pulled out of her tantalizingly slowly. "And to think I let you kiss me with that mouth," he stated with a smirk. He thrust back in and he could tell by the way she tightened around him that he had hit the right spot inside of her. She grasped the back of his shirt while her mouth latched onto the area where his neck met his shoulder.

He groaned through gritted teeth. He had known that something like this would happen. He couldn't resist her when she was this close. It was an impossible task.

He pressed her more firmly against the wall of the broom closet and it wasn't much longer before she climaxed around him and his hands tightly grasped her rear end as his own orgasm rocked him.

She brushed his hair off of his forehead as he tried to regain his normal breathing. After a few minutes of revelling in her proximity, he pulled out of her and slowly lowered her legs until her feet hit the floor. He did, however, keep her body firmly trapped between him and the wall. He wasn't ready to let her go yet.

"We probably shouldn't have done that," he finally spoke to break the silence.

"Yeah," she agreed in a whisper, "we probably shouldn't have…since you know, we're not…anything…anymore..."

He promptly disagreed with her. "I wouldn't say that. We're…" He trailed off as he stumbled over his words in his head.

"Complicated?" She supplied.

He smiled sadly, "Yeah, I suppose we are."

She rested her hands on his waist and he responded by gently placing his on her waist as well. "Did you mean what you said?" She asked almost shyly. "On the top of the Astronomy Tower the other night?"

He countered quickly with, "What do you think?"

"No," she answered quickly. "I don't think you did."

"Snape told me to stay away from you," he finally confessed.

He could see the anger rise in her cheeks. "Why?" She questioned indignantly.

He shrugged. "He has his reasons, and I have mine. I don't think he's wrong."

"You're trying to be noble?" She teased with a poke to his chest.

He laughed it off as best as he could. "Don't make me out to be a martyr, Granger."

She looked at him for a long moment before she smiled. "I already think you are."

They kissed lazily before they fixed their appearances, Granger managed to repair her knickers, and parted ways. They saw each other again soon after in Arithmancy, where they pretended to ignore each other for the majority of the lesson. Draco found the smell of her hair to be incredibly distracting, but he kept himself under control.

He took diligent notes but he couldn't stop himself from thinking about how unwise his and Granger's recent rendezvous had been. No matter how incredibly enjoyable it had been. Snape would skin him if he ever found out.

And he had no idea where to go from here. He had been doing a great job of avoiding and ignoring her for but if she was going to be as persistent and demanding as she had been today, it was abundantly clear that he did not have the strength to deny her. Also, a time would come, probably soon enough, when he wouldn't even be able to sneak off with her. So a large part of him wanted to tell Snape to piss off because Granger wouldn't be a distraction for him for much longer. Not when this war was finally out in the open.

Draco shuffled into his dormitory and at the end of the day and collapsed onto the top of his four poster. Crookshanks galloped out from underneath Blaise's bed and jumped onto his. He lazily scratched the cat's head as he got comfortable.

He had no idea how the animal consistently got into Slytherin House but he had stopped trying to figure it out. The cat was magical.

Granger's pet had eased up on following him around until he had started to ignore her. Crookshanks had resumed his stalking activities once he had realized that Draco was spending less time with his owner. The cat knew things.

Crookshanks purred loudly and climbed on top of his abdomen. Draco glared at him but the fur ball ignored him and made himself comfortable. The blonde acquiesced to the cat's wishes and grabbed a book off of his bedside table. He was reading another book that Granger had given him a while ago. This one was called _To Kill A Mockingbird_, he wasn't really sure what he thought of it yet but it was interesting.

The door of the dormitory opened and he glanced upwards to see Theo. "Hey mate."

Theo uneasily smiled back at him. "You left the Great Hall early."

"Wasn't that hungry," he shrugged.

His friend sat down on the edge of his own bed and chuckled. "The cat's back, I'm assuming that's still a bad thing?" He asked suggestively.

Theo and Daphne had pestered him nonstop over the past few days about Granger. Apparently his behaviour around them had told them a lot more than he had wanted. But he had supposed that he had dropped his guard around his two best friends and had openly moped. He liked to think that what he had been doing had been a little more dignified than moping, but he wasn't a fool, moping was a pretty accurate description. Despite not actually telling them anything, they seemed to know exactly what was going on. Or at least Daphne did anyway, and she had explained everything to her boyfriend.

"Not necessarily," Draco muttered.

"Good," the dark-haired boy replied quickly. "I still think she's the best thing for you. Don't let anyone tell you any different," he added as he pulled off his shoes.

Draco frowned to himself. He wished that Theo could tell Snape that.

**A/N: **I had to include the D.A.D.A lesson because it is one of my favourite parts of the book. So funny! Please leave a review! :)

The next chapter: Easter Break!


	28. The Second Task

**A/N: **Honestly, this chapter is a little boring but all of the information is important to the rest of the story. I hope that you enjoy it anyway. Happy New Year! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 28 – The Second Task**

Harry was spending yet another holiday at the Weasleys and he loved it. Easter wasn't quite as festive and gluttonous as Christmas, but it was still a welcome break from all of the pressures that he faced at Hogwarts. He certainly couldn't complain about his company, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were kind enough to always take him in, and Harry knew that his good mood had a lot to do with Ginny and the recent, frequent bickering that she engaged in with her boyfriend, Dean Thomas. Hermione figured that it was only a matter of time before they broke up. Harry just wished that his best friend was in a better mood.

Ron hadn't been fit to talk to since his breakup with Lavender Brown and he had no idea why. Ron still refused to talk about it. The subject was taboo apparently.

And teasing from two of his older brothers certainly wasn't helping him open up. Since Easter break had started, Fred and George couldn't stop asking about what had happened between "Lav and Won-Won". Ron usually refused to respond to their teasing but that didn't make them back off. The twins had always been rather relentless in their pursuits, professional or personal.

Fred and George Apparated, without warning, from their bedroom to the room in the attic, like they always did when everyone was supposed to be in bed asleep. They both landed on the bed that Harry slept in and he greeted them with a small grin.

"'Night Harry," Fred greeted him pleasantly.

Harry responded with a nod while Ron rolled his eyes and fell back onto his bed with a groan. He pulled the bed covers over his face, probably in the hope of blocking out his brothers.

Harry knew, as well as Fred and George, that that wasn't going to work.

"Save yourself months of misery, Ron," George began persuasively, "and just tell us. Then the shaming can begin and we can all move on with our lives."

"There's nothing to tell," Ron muttered defiantly.

Fred and George prodded for several more minutes before they gave up with a sigh. "We'll try again tomorrow," Fred stated in parting before they Disapparated with a 'pop'.

Harry pursed his lips in thought before he spoke. "Ya know they're not the only ones who think that you should just get it over with."

Ron flung the bedcovers down to his knees and looked at him angrily. "Whattaya mean?"

"I mean," he responded evenly. "That you should just tell people why you broke up, then everybody will stop nagging you about it."

"I can't, Harry," Ron replied shakily. "It's too embarrassing."

Harry furrowed his brow in thought. Surely it couldn't be that embarrassing. His and Cho's entire relationship had been fairly embarrassing with the awkward dates and all of the crying. Surely it couldn't be worse than that, could it?

"It can't be that bad," he finally offered.

Ron retorted quickly, "Oh yes, it can."

There was a long silence and Harry had resigned himself to trying to fall asleep when Ron spoke again.

"If I tell you, you have to swear you won't tell anyone," he stated sternly.

Harry swallowed before eagerly replying, "I swear."

"Swear on your Firebolt!"

Harry chuckled but easily complied, "I swear on my Firebolt!" It was one of his most prized possessions but he knew that everything about Quidditch was a little more sacred to Ron than it was to him.

Ron took a shaky breath before he dived into the story. "The day we broke up, we were in a classroom…snogging and doing other stuff…"

Harry grimaced as he realized where this story was headed. Maybe he didn't want to know after all.

"And well…ya know," Ron continued awkwardly, "we were…doing stuff…and I…said the wrong name."

The dark-haired boy looked at him in confusion. "Said the wrong name?"

"Yup," Ron gulped. "Not hers."

Harry's eyes widened in realization and his mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh." He wasn't the most experienced bloke either but he knew that was a bad sign. A really bad sign, a solid do not. "So what happened then?"

"She didn't take it well, as you can imagine," Ron explained rather calmly. "We fought and then that was that."

Harry nodded in understanding. He could completely understand how they had broken up after something like that, and why he wouldn't talk about it. It sounded dreadful. He definitely didn't envy his friend, and for a moment, it made him glad that he was uninvolved. When you were single, you didn't have to worry about things like that happening. But it still didn't erase an annoying pang of longing from deep within his chest. It also didn't stop him from pondering the one question that Ron had left unanswered.

After a long, slightly uncomfortable silence, he decided to voice the question aloud. "So, whose name was it?"

"What?" Ron squeaked.

"The name," Harry clarified. "You said that you said the wrong name, so whose name did you say? Madam Rosmerta?" He added as a joke to break the tension.

Ron retreated back under the covers of his bed but Harry knew that he didn't really need an answer. It was pretty clear to him whose name it had been. There was only one real possibility.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

The first two days of Draco's Easter break had gone so smoothly, and so peacefully, that he should have felt something dreadful approaching. He had been in the library, searching for something about the topic of Horcruxes, when his mother came looking for him.

"Draco!" She called from the doorway.

Draco placed the book in his hand back in its rightful place on the bookshelf and walked towards the front of the library. "Yes, mother?"

"Bella and someone from the Ministry are here to see you." He furrowed his brow in confusion so she continued, "Just come downstairs, you'll see."

Draco did as he was told and followed his mother out of the library, down the long hallway, and then down the marble staircase. Waiting for him in the foyer was his Aunt Bellatrix and Yaxley, a Death Eater who had done a very good job of convincing most people that he no longer showed the Dark Lord any loyalties. He had been forgiven by the public after the First Wizarding War and had managed to somehow score a position in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Maybe he actually wasn't as good of an actor as everyone thought and his position within the Ministry was just so other people, like Kingsley Shacklebolt, could keep an eye on him.

Draco wasn't sure how anyone at the Ministry could believe a word that came out of his mouth with his hard, blunt features and unpleasant smile.

"Draco," Bellatrix cooed as he stopped in front of her. She kissed his cheek before she spoke again. "We have a special job for you."

He swallowed but didn't allow his anxiety to show. He was much more disciplined than that now. If the Dark Lord had assigned another job to him then rest assured it wasn't going to be fun or enjoyable by any means. "What is it?" He questioned calmly.

Bellatrix grinned maliciously before she practically squealed, "We found the Mudblood!"

Draco's throat constricted and he could feel his palms begin to sweat. He knew that the Death Eaters above ground had been searching for Granger's family, but he hadn't imagined that they would find them so soon. Their whereabouts didn't really matter at this stage in the war, at least not to any Death Eater but him.

"Yaxley is going to take you, and you'll do a preliminary sweep of the home," his aunt continued.

"Just to get a feel for it?" He asked. "Gain knowledge?"

Aunt Bella nodded as she stroked his forearm. "Yes, exactly, smart boy."

After a few more words from Aunt Bella, he and Yaxley Apparated to a part of London that Draco was unfamiliar with and they walked from there. The walk was long and silent and Draco wished that he was completing this task with any Death Eater besides Yaxley, even the crazier ones.

He found Yaxley to be extremely arrogant, haughty, and self-righteous. Even the way that the man walked signified his perceived superiority. He realized that if he voiced these thoughts aloud most people would call him a hypocrite. He was sure that people often used those very same words to describe him. But there was something about Yaxley that was almost subhuman. Draco was convinced that he would kill his own mother if it furthered the cause or his own personal ambitions.

Also, Yaxley had very interesting opinions on blood purity, even for a Death Eater. He despised even half-bloods. A smirk crossed Draco's face as he imagined Yaxley's reaction to the revelation that the Dark Lord was no more than a half-blood.

Draco was interrupted from his rather amusing thought by Yaxley's gravelly voice. "This is the street."

He looked down the quiet, empty street and spotted Granger's house, her lovely, middle-class, _normal _house. Even from a distance he recognized it. He quickly noticed that the driveway was empty and that would pose a problem.

An idea occurred to him and he turned to Yaxley to speak quietly. "We should hop that fence," he stated as he gestured towards the closest house and the fence surrounding it. The older man looked at him in bewilderment and he couldn't stop a laugh from escaping. "You don't know much about Muggles, do you? The neighbors will be suspicious if they see the front door magically open. Let's cast Disillusionment Charms, hop the fence, and go around back."

Yaxley replied grumpily, "Watch your mouth, boy."

But he cast the Disillusionment Charm without any further argument and followed Draco to the fence. Draco realized that working with him was probably not Yaxley's idea of a good time either. The older, more practiced wizard probably resented the fact that Snape was currently the Dark Lord's favourite and that he was essentially Snape's protégée. Draco was young and reckless but still a more valuable asset than the man with him. That wouldn't sit well with anyone. It was hard to take orders from someone half your age.

Draco gracefully scaled the fence but it took Yaxley a few more minutes to clamber over the structure. Draco finally heard his feet hit the ground with a 'thud' and a curse. They quietly proceeded to the back door of Granger's house and Yaxley unlocked the door with a flick of his wand.

Yaxley cast a spell to determine if any other human life was present in the home and once it was determined to be negative, they removed the charms that they had cast over themselves. Yaxley motioned him to look upstairs and he obliged without a word.

He walked up the stairs quietly and headed towards the bedroom that he knew all too well on instinct. He looked down at her bed and swallowed harshly. He wondered where she and her parents were right now. He wanted to leave her a note telling her never to come back here but he knew that would be too risky. He stepped further into the room and looked around intently. He had no idea what exactly the Death Eaters wanted him to report back but he figured it was important to take note of something. There were a pair of Muggle jeans lying haphazardly in the armchair and there was a sketchpad lying open on her desk beneath the window. Her bed was made and everything else in the room was perfectly in order, like he had expected.

He noted a few photographs pinned to the noticeboard that he hadn't before, ones of her with her parents when she had been much younger and some more recent pictures of her, Potter, and Weasley. He let a small smile grace his face before he walked towards the desk in intrigue. He flipped through the sketchbook and saw that most of her more recent attempts had been at perfecting the view from the top of the Astronomy Tower.

The fact that it was that view, and not one of the other incredible views and landscapes that Hogwarts had to offer, caused a comforting warmth to spread throughout his chest. He had been an idiot to think that he could stay away from her; everything that she did made him happier. Even being in her home, amongst her possessions, calmed him.

The sound of footsteps made him turn around and he faced Yaxley standing in the doorway. Draco tried not to sneer at him in disgust; it was as if this man's presence tainted everything good about the Granger home.

"Is this the Mudblood's room?"

"I presume," Draco answered smoothly.

"Find anything interesting?" Yaxley continued.

The blonde shook his head. "No, just typical teenage girl stuff."

"Well at least we know where she lives now, that's bound to come in handy. Let's get out of here; this place gives me the creeps. Muggles," he shuddered in derision.

Draco followed Yaxley down the staircase, but before they could escape through the backdoor they were cornered in the kitchen by Crookshanks. The large, ginger cat arched his back and hissed aggressively. He clearly was not a fan of Yaxley. Crookshanks had good instincts.

The older man reflexively pointed his wand at the cat and Draco grabbed his wrist before he could do anything stupid. "What are you doing? If you kill the cat, you don't think that'll be a little suspicious?" He asked sarcastically.

Yaxley shook off Draco's hold and stared at the feline in disdain. "Fine," he growled. "Let's get out of this Merlin forsaken house!" He shouted in frustration.

Draco gently pushed Crookshanks aside with his foot to let Yaxley pass. He didn't miss the faint purring sound that emitted from the animal. Crookshanks clearly trusted him wholeheartedly now. He shot the cat a small smile before he cast another Disillusionment Charm and fled the house.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

After returning from his brief mission with Yaxley, Draco ate supper with his mother and took a quick swim in the pool before he retreated to the library with determination. Now that he had the time and the resources available to him, he needed to find out everything there is to know about Horcruxes. He had to come up with something before he had to return to school. If the books didn't hold any answers then he would be forced to ask his mother.

He made himself comfortable at a table, with his dogs lying at his feet and a plate of sweets that a house elf had brought him. He shifted through book after book, and it was the middle of the night before he came across a book entitled _Secrets of the Darkest Art_. He had been fighting sleep for the past twenty minutes and he was only into the book's second chapter when a single word caught his attention.

There it was.

Horcrux.

This is what he had been searching for.

He sat up straighter in his chair and refocused. The content of these pages could change everything, he just knew it.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Once all of the students had returned to Hogwarts, Draco took the very first opportunity that presented itself to call Potter, Granger, and Weasley to the Room of Requirement for a meeting. It had taken all of his energy not to let them in on his little secret on the train.

He stood in front of the fireplace and once he heard three pairs of footsteps, he spun around enthusiastically. "I know what a Horcrux is," he blurted out.

Granger looked at him with a proud smile while the other two Gryffindors stared at him in disbelief.

He pulled a few folded pieces of parchment out of his trousers with a grin. He had taken meticulous notes. "I found it in a book in the Malfoy library, took me a bloody long time to find it though."

"Well, what are they?" Potter inquired impatiently.

"A Horcrux is an object that conceals a fragment of your soul," Draco sighed. The trio stared at him in astonishment and he merely nodded. He understood the expressions on their faces; he hadn't believed the information either. He had needed to read the passage of information five times before it finally sunk in. He motioned towards the nearby chairs and the four of them slowly sat down. "So that when you die, when your body is destroyed," he explained slowly, "your soul lives on, or at least a part of it."

"That sounds horrible," Weasley uttered after a moment.

"Yeah, the description in the book I read is not pleasant," Draco responded. It was common knowledge in the wizarding world that the soul is supposed to remain intact and with you throughout your life, splitting it is unnatural. It defied the first law of magic: tamper with the deepest mysteries – the source of life, the essence of self – only if prepared for consequences of the most extreme and dangerous kind. And the book had clearly stated that Horcruxes could produce consequences of the most extreme and dangerous kind, creating a Horcrux made your soul unstable. "It seems as if very few witches or wizards have even tried it."

"Except Voldemort," Harry managed to choke out.

Again, Draco managed a nod. Clearly the Dark Lord had created a Horcrux, or even multiple Horcruxes, otherwise why would it be important for four teenagers to learn about them.

"How do you do it?" Granger inquired curiously. "How do you create a Horcrux?"

Draco looked down at his parchment and grimaced. He had been exposed to a lot of dark magic in his young life, but this was definitely the darkest. "There's a spell that you cast once you've…once you've committed murder, that's how you spilt your soul, and then you use the spell to encase that fragment into whatever object you've chosen."

There was a silence while the others digested the heavy information before Potter spoke again. "So it can be any object?"

"Seems so," Draco replied affirmatively.

Potter seemed to stare off into the distance and Granger turned to him in concern. "What is it, Harry? What are you thinking?"

"We need to know how many he made," Potter replied in determination. "I bet that's what's in Slughorn's memory." He got to his feet and, with a look of resolve that Draco had never seen, he left the room with Weasley trailing after him.

Their disappearance left him alone with Granger. He got up out of his chair and walked towards her with the pieces of parchment extended towards her. "Take these," he encouraged. "It's more stuff about Horcruxes, what they can do and how to destroy them."

"Thanks," she smiled as she touched his hand for a prolonged period of time.

"No problem," he tried to smile back. He desperately wanted to tell her that the Death Eaters had found her parents, but he knew that now wasn't the right time. Right now her parents were still safe and their sudden, mysterious disappearance would only raise suspicion.

Granger slowly got to her feet as well and placed her hands on his chest. "Did you have a good Easter break?"

He shrugged, "It wasn't terrible. You?"

"It was nice," she sighed. She pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I should go and see what Harry's up to. I'll see you later?" She asked hopefully.

He nodded before he kissed her back. "Yes, we'll meet soon," he promised.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Malfoy's new information lit a fire in Harry that he hadn't felt in a very long time. He needed to get that memory from Slughorn so that they could have even more information about Voldemort and Horcruxes. After an accidental stroke of genius from Ron, Harry realized what he had needed all this time to persuade Slughorn to open up to him.

All that he needed was a little luck!

Harry took a tiny gulp of his Felix Felicis, just enough for a few hours, he didn't want to waste the whole thing, and left the castle to head towards Hagrid's, under the guidance of the potion. After burying Hagrid's deceased spider-friend Aragog, Slughorn, drunk and moved by memories of Lily Evans, gave Harry the memory that he had been ordered to retrieve.

The one that he had longed for.

The one that could help them destroy Voldemort.

Harry went straight to Dumbledore's office with the memory and they watched it together in the Pensieve. A young Lord Voldemort asked Professor Slughorn about Horcruxes and he replied, using much of the same content that Harry had heard hours ago from Draco Malfoy. The most interesting portion, to Harry, was when Voldemort asked: "Can you only split your soul once? Wouldn't it be better, make you stronger, to have your soul in more pieces?"

He specifically mentioned the number seven, the most magically powerful number.

They left the memory and Harry felt deep sympathy for Slughorn. He had been duped by a very clever young man, and it was clear now that the old man still regretted the conversation that he had had years ago. Harry really couldn't blame him but it was clear that Voldemort had used the information in a very dangerous way.

"Well, Harry," Dumbledore began. "I am sure you understood the significance of what we just heard. At the same age as you are now, give or take a few months, Tom Riddle was doing all he could to find out how to make himself immortal."

"You think he succeeded then, sir? In making a Horcrux?" That's certainly what he thought.

"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore answered slowly. "More than one Horcrux I believe."

Dumbledore then proceeded to tell him that he was certain that Tom Riddle's diary, which he had destroyed in the Chamber of Secrets, had been a Horcrux. The more that Dumbledore talked about Voldemort's almost careless treatment of the diary, his comments about immortality, and his deteriorating physical appearance over the years, the more that the pieces fell into place for Harry. He had created multiple Horcruxes. Voldemort had divided his soul into _seven _pieces. He had made six Horcruxes.

"How are we supposed to find them?" Harry asked. Like Malfoy had said, they could be any objects and they could be hidden anywhere. Even with Malfoy's information and Slughorn's real memory, the task seemed impossible.

"You have already destroyed one of them," the Headmaster answered steadily. "And I have destroyed another."

Tom Riddle's diary and Marvolo Gaunt's ring, which Dumbledore explained he had found hidden in the ruins of the Gaunts' house, were already destroyed. It was amazing and a relief that they had already destroyed two pieces of Voldemort's soul, but in Harry's mind it still left them at square one.

They talked and they talked and Harry's brain began to hurt. This was far more complicated than he had even imagined. The remaining four Horcruxes would be objects important to Voldemort, Malfoy had been right to be intrigued by the idea of trophies. They deduced that the Horcruxes were most likely Slytherin's locket, Hufflepuff's cup, something of Ravenclaw's, and his snake, Nagini.

The one thing that Harry processed very clearly was that if all of the Horcruxes were destroyed then Voldemort himself could be killed. And that caused Harry to feel a sense of delight that he never had before.

Like he could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

**A/N: **A lot of big stuff is going to happen in the next chapter. I won't give much away but I will tell you the title: Sectumsempra.

Please leave a review! :)


	29. Sectumsempra

**A/N: **Thanks for reviewing! This chapter picks up exactly where the last one ended.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 29 – Sectumsempra**

"So," Harry began as he searched for confirmation, "if all of his Horcruxes are destroyed, Voldemort could be killed?"

Dumbledore nodded carefully. "Yes, without his Horcruxes, Voldemort will be a mortal man with a maimed and diminished soul. However, his brain and magical power will remain intact. It will take uncommon skill and power to kill a wizard like Voldemort, even without his Horcruxes."

Harry pursed his lips in displeasure and furrowed his brow. "But I don't have uncommon skill and power."

"Yes, you do," Dumbledore argued. "You have a power that Voldemort has never had."

"Right," Harry responded dejectedly. The whole ability to love thing. He believed in it a bit more now, since he had been able to watch Malfoy's failure to produce a Patronus, but it still seemed so insignificant when compared to all of Voldemort's magical might.

Dumbledore must have sensed his lack of enthusiasm for his "unusual gift" because he immediately spoke of how him possessing "power the Dark Lord knows not" is only significant because Voldemort made it so. Prophecies do not come true all on their own apparently. People need to act to fulfill them, and when Voldemort had tried to kill him to prevent the prophecy from coming true, he had unknowingly fulfilled it. Dumbledore had explained this to him last year, after everything that had happened at the Ministry, but Harry did feel the need to hear it again.

"Voldemort _himself_ created his worst enemy in you," Dumbledore reiterated.

And Harry understood now that he would be the one to kill Voldemort, not because of some prophecy, but because he wanted to. He _needed _to.

"So," Harry began thoughtfully, "do you think Malfoy possesses an ability to love?" If his ability to love prevented him from being susceptible to Voldemort's lure than what had spurred Malfoy to come to the other side? Harry had always figured that it was self-preservation but what if it was something else.

"It is time that I come clean about something, Harry," Dumbledore responded gloomily.

"What do you mean, Professor?" Harry questioned curiously.

"There is a reason that I've had you work with Mr. Malfoy this year…one that I've been withholding from you," he added. "And it is time that you know about it."

A lump formed in Harry's throat but he tried to talk himself out of worrying. This was Dumbledore so surely whatever this secret was it couldn't be that bad.

"Before I fetched you from Privet Drive this summer," the Headmaster began, "I had a visit with Professor Trelawney, she wanted to discuss her class schedule for the upcoming year, and she—"

"Had another vision?" Harry interrupted. "What was it? Was it about me?" He questioned rapidly. Harry felt quite embarrassed until he saw a fond smile grace Dumbledore's face. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly.

"No need to apologize, Harry," Dumbledore responded understandingly. "You have a right to know. More importantly, you have a right to_ see_." He gestured towards the Pensieve and the cabinet that held hundreds of memories.

Harry stepped forward in interest and after dumping the appropriate memory into the Pensieve Dumbledore invited him to have a closer look. He leaned forward and was immediately sucked into the memory.

He walked alongside Professor Dumbledore as they made their way up to the seventh floor of the North Tower. The strong smell of a mix of perfumes alerted him to the fact that they must be headed to the Divination classroom.

"Albus," Trelawney greeted him with a smile as they stepped into the room. "How are you?"

"Very well, and you?" The Headmaster responded politely.

They made idle chitchat for quite a while as Harry grew anxious and impatient. Finally, he was rewarded when the Divination teacher slipped into one of her trances to deliver a prophecy. Her eyes widened and her voice took on that eerie quality when she spoke.

"_In order to forever vanquish the Dark Lord, the Chosen One must, on the eve of adulthood, accept aid from those he has considered to be his enemies…having marked them as enemies in childhood…the bond between them will be unbreakable as it will exist in the form of loved ones, loved ones born to non-magical parentage…one dead, one living…the living will embrace the enemy that seeks to aid…the Chosen One will ensure that their bond cannot even be broken even in death…"_

Professor Trelawney snapped out of her trance quickly and continued her conversation with Dumbledore as if it had never been interrupted.

The memory ended and Harry was brought back to Dumbledore's office in utter confusion. "What did that mean? I don't understand."

"I asked you to keep Miss Granger close this year for a reason," he answered. "She may have a bigger part to play in all of this than I had previously realized, as does Mr. Malfoy."

"Non-magical parentage…enemy from childhood," Harry muttered to himself as he mulled over Professor Trelawney's words. "This is about Hermione and Malfoy?" Harry instantly realized that he was quite angry about the idea that Malfoy potentially played an important role in his destiny.

Dumbledore must have picked up on this as well because he responded with, "Don't think too much about the prophecy, Harry," he warned. "Just remember that Mr. Malfoy has made a difficult choice and," he paused to sigh, "sometimes, I think that we sort too soon."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

The next day, during a private training session with Malfoy, Harry was unable to look at the boy in the same way that he had done for the past six years. What had Dumbledore meant by "sometimes we sort too soon"? Did he mean that perhaps Malfoy wasn't a true Slytherin? That if he wore the Sorting Hat now, the magical object might think he was better suited to another house? The idea seemed odd to Harry. He thought that the Sorting Hat didn't make mistakes. The Sorting Hat was supposed to see inside you to the person that you were going to become and base your placement on which house would help you become that person. The idea of Malfoy, a proud pure-blood, not being in Slytherin just seemed wrong.

Harry also couldn't stop thinking about what Professor Trelawney's prophecy meant for Malfoy, and what it meant for Hermione. He had stayed up late last night, sitting in his bed, writing the prophecy down on a piece of parchment over and over, trying to make sense of it. He hadn't achieved anything and then he had remembered that Dumbledore had advised him not to think too much about it, so he had given up and gone to bed.

His perception of Malfoy had also been altered when Malfoy had produced his first corporeal Patronus. After months of trying he had succeeded. His Patronus had taken the form of a large hawk, which had majestically flown around the room. Harry had certainly been taken aback, and impressed. He had been convinced that Malfoy would never be able to conjure a Patronus. He had been proven wrong and he wondered what had changed in Malfoy. What memory had he been thinking of when he had cast the spell?

Harry was snapped out of his thoughts by Malfoy's voice from across the Room of Requirement. "Thinking about Weasley?"

The dark-haired boy turned to Malfoy, who was gazing at a bookshelf, in confusion. "Why would I be thinking about Ron?"

Malfoy spun around to face him with a knowing smirk on his face. "That's not the Weasley I was referring to." Harry couldn't stop himself from blushing and so Malfoy continued. "Is she still dating Dean Thomas?"

"No," Harry answered a tad reluctantly. "They split up a little while ago." Hermione had delivered the news to him and he had tried not to look too overjoyed.

"Ya know, Potter," Malfoy began as he placed his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "When you want something, you go after it. That's the way the world works."

"That's the way the Malfoy world works," Harry countered.

The Slytherin shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with it, especially in a time like this."

"A time like this?" Harry repeated slowly.

"Wartime," Malfoy clarified. "What's the point of not going after what you want if we could all be dead in a month from now?"

Harry had to concede that Malfoy certainly had a point, and Ginny hadn't seemed that happy with Dean. Well obviously she hadn't been happy; she had broken up with Dean. But who's to say if she would be happy with him. He certainly didn't know, at this point it was only a fantasy. Oddly enough, he felt comfortable discussing this with Malfoy. It certainly wasn't something he could talk to Ron about. He was afraid that Ron would hit him, or worse. Ron would probably feel as if Harry had betrayed him by having feelings for his sister. He would have thought that Malfoy would become a confidant of sorts.

"How exactly do you go about getting what you want?" Harry questioned tentatively.

Malfoy laughed softly. "Surely you have some experience in these matters, Potter. Weren't you and Cho Chang an item for a little while?"

Not for the first time, Harry shuddered at the memory of that disastrous relationship. They had been doomed from the start. "Yeah, but that doesn't help me."

"Well," he responded with a pleasant smile. "I'm not sure I can help you either. I'm a natural when it comes to the fairer sex, just be yourself, or whatever is it that they say."

"Real helpful," Harry replied sarcastically.

Malfoy laughed again, he seemed to be in a rather good mood, as he slowly walked towards the center of the room. "Come on, Potter, let's duel." He raised his wand and moved into a starting duelling position. "Scared, Potter?"

Harry grinned as he recognized the phrase from when they had duelled in the Great Hall as second years. "You wish," he finished.

After duelling with Malfoy, Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower and decided to spend the rest of his Saturday afternoon in his dormitory trying to catch up with his mountain of schoolwork.

There was no one else in the room so it was a quiet environment that could result in productivity…until he heard a 'crack' and looked up to see two house elves sitting on the end of his bed.

"Dobby! Kreacher!" He exclaimed in surprise.

The two house elves that he had assigned to watch Malfoy scuffled on the bed until Dobby managed to extract himself from Kreacher's grasp and stand up straight. "Dobby is sorry he has taken so long, Harry Potter," he rushed out. "But Dobby wanted to be sure."

Kreacher began to speak miserably. "Master said he wanted reports on what the Malfoy boy is doing so Kreacher has come to give those reports."

Harry responded politely, "Thank you, Kreacher. Now Dobby, what did you need to be sure of?" He asked eagerly.

Before Dobby had a chance to speak, Kreacher answered, "Master Malfoy moves with a nobility that befits his pure blood. His features recall the fine bones of my mistress, but she would not be happy with what he is doing. No, certainly not. No."

Harry raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean?" Kreacher shook his head and pursed his lips, forcing himself to be silent. He turned to Dobby and asked, "Dobby, what has Malfoy been doing?"

"He is breaking no rules that Dobby can discover. He has been making regular visits to the seventh floor."

"The Room of Requirement," Harry responded quietly, "I figured as much." He figured that the magical room would be able to cloak itself. It seemed plausible. "Have you been able to see what he's doing?"

The loyal house elf shook his head. "No, Harry Potter, sir, and other times, the Malfoy boy is in there with…and he goes other places too with…"

"With who?" Harry persisted. "With who?"

"Harry Potter's friend," Dobby answered meekly.

There was a pause before Kreacher screeched angrily. "The Mudblood!"

"Hermione?"

Dobby nodded. "Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Harry Potter's friend Miss Granger likes the Malfoy boy very much."

"What?" Harry replied in bewilderment. "What do you mean by _likes_?"

Dobby blushed and awkwardly played with the hem of his tea cosy and Harry knew exactly what the word "likes" meant in this context. It meant "likes" in a way that was much more than friendly. Hermione was in a relationship, or whatever she was doing, with Malfoy!

And whatever she was doing with him set a fire inside of Harry. He had been just starting to like Malfoy, or at the very least, respect him. In fact, he had pretty much forgotten that he had sent house elves to tail him, but now this! Malfoy had a certain reputation and that was not conducive to treating women with the respect that they deserved, and Hermione deserved the utmost respect from men. Malfoy was insincere and self-serving, and a git!

Harry felt a dangerous rage build inside of him. Hermione was his best friend and this just wasn't right. All of a sudden, every terrible thing Malfoy had ever done or been involved in flashed before his eyes, with an image of him crossing the line with Hermione at the forefront of his imagination. It didn't matter to him now that Malfoy had helped him improve his non-verbal magic or his duelling ability, or that he had given them information on Horcruxes, or that the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore trusted him, or that he was mentioned as Harry's ally in a prophecy. None of that mattered; Malfoy was the enemy once again.

He hopped off of his bed, grabbed the Marauder's Map, and sprinted down the stairs and out of the portrait. He had to find Malfoy.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco walked down the hallway with a smile on his face and Granger by his side, under the ruse that they were heading to the library to work on Arithmancy together. His good mood was practically contagious. It was just one of those good days, and it didn't hurt that he had made progress with the Vanishing Cabinet this morning, had successfully cast a Patronus Charm, and could now spend the rest of the day with Granger.

"Oh! I forgot something!" Granger exclaimed as she stopped walking.

"What?" He asked with a small grin. "What could you have possibly forgotten?"

She rolled her eyes. "Our Arithmancy paper. We should at least look it over this afternoon. Be patient. I'll meet you in the Room of Requirement," she added in a whisper.

He nodded reluctantly and headed towards the Room of Requirement while she walked in the opposite direction. He stopped at the bathroom along the way to do his business.

While he was washing his hands, he caught a glimpse of Potter in the mirror. The Gryffindor looked so angry that you could practically see the steam escaping his ears. "What's going on, Potter?" He inquired as he slowly turned around.

Potter, who had been clutching his wand, threw a silent jinx at him and he managed to raise his wand just in time to block it. Draco threw himself behind a stall for cover while he wore a perplexed facial expression. "What are you doing?" He bellowed. He thought that he and Potter were on good terms now. They had even joked around this morning. They had talked about Potter's crush on Ginny Weasley for Merlin's sake!

"What's going on between you and Hermione?" Potter asked loudly as he fired another jinx at him from the floor so that it flew underneath the line of stalls and just missed him.

"Oh," Draco said quietly to himself. Potter knew about that…no wonder he was trying to kill him. He cast a rather harmless, defensive spell as he responded. "It's probably not what you think."

"I doubt that," Potter responded as he cast yet another spell. He wasn't showing any signs of stopping his attack.

Draco stepped out from behind cover, so that he and Potter could duel out in the open. He deflected jinx after jinx, and attempted to cast _Expelliarmus_ but Potter blocked that as well. The Gryffindor fired a spell just over his shoulder and the mirror behind him shattered before the spell redirected and burst a pipe. Water spurted out of the pipe and started to flood the floor.

He and Potter were still duelling, locked in a stalemate when the door to the boys' lavatory opened and Hermione walked in.

"What is going on here?" She demanded. "I could hear this racket from the hallway."

"Why don't you tell me what's going?" Potter responded angrily without taking his eyes off of Draco.

"Harry," Granger tried to reason. "You're acting like a child, put your wand down."

Potter ignored her and tried an unknown curse that caught him off guard.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!"

Draco slipped on the wet bathroom floor, and was about to take the curse right in the center of his chest, when Granger outstretched her arm in front of him. Her attempt to block the curse was just a tad too late and she absorbed it, staggering backwards from its force.

Draco wasn't entirely sure what had happened until he heard the sound of a body hitting the floor and a splash. He turned his head and dropped his wand as he saw Granger lying on the floor in a rapidly forming pool of her own blood as her body jerked unnaturally. He fell to his knees at her side as Potter did the same.

"What the hell did you do?" He demanded in horror. "What did you cast?"

Potter shook his head in disbelief and shock. "I d-don't…I don't know…I…No, Hermione!"

Draco swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched the colour drain out of her face. Her hands, and his, were trying to prevent the blood from seeping out of her chest, but to no avail. It was as if she had been cut by a sword. He racked his brain for any healing spell that he knew that could help with something like this but nothing fit. He had never heard of the _Sectumsempra _spell that Potter had just cast.

Panic was just beginning to truly to set in when the door to the bathroom opened once again, and this time it was Snape who entered. Their yelling had been bound to draw some attention but Draco breathed a sigh of relief, no one knew more healing spells than his godfather.

The Potions Master took in the scene before him and knelt next to Granger's body, roughly pushing both boys away. His wand moved fluidly over the deep wounds that Potter's curse had caused as he muttered an unfamiliar incantation. Draco tried to pay close attention to the words but he was unable to focus on anything but Granger's frail form. The blood that had spread into the water seemed to be moving in reverse, as it was soaked back into her body as the wounds healed. Snape repeated the incantation a second and third time before he spoke quietly, almost soothingly to Granger. "You need the hospital wing."

She seemed to comprehend what he was saying because she nodded slowly and tried to sit up.

Snape lifted her into his arms and walked towards the door, but not before he called coldly over his shoulder, "Both of you stay here."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco had been quickly dismissed from the loo by Snape when Potter had quickly confessed to producing the curse. He had walked down to the dungeons, covered in blood and soaked with water, and had paced his dormitory in a daze until the sun set. He couldn't remember if he had encountered anyone on his way to his room, if he had, he couldn't remember. He had been too frightened. He had never seen a curse like that before. It was barbaric, and had appeared painful, and it had been cast on the one person that he couldn't bear to see hurt.

Once it was dark, and all students were supposed to be in bed, he snuck out and made his way to the hospital wing. Only one bed was occupied and he walked towards it as quietly as he could. He didn't want to alert Madam Pomfrey to his presence. She would kick him out in an instant.

He stood next to the bedside table and looked at the potions that Granger had been given: blood replenishing potion, dittany, a potion to make her sleep, and something that he didn't recognize.

He sat down in the empty chair beside her bed and gazed at her sleeping form. She certainly looked better than she had earlier. She looked peaceful. She was still a little paler than usual, and she looked so small, but he could see that she was healing.

What the hell had Potter cast? He was baffled. He had never heard the spell before and it had almost killed her. It was clearly dark magic, and he considered himself to be a bit of an expert on dark magic, so it was bothering him that he was drawing a blank.

"Hi," a voice croaked.

He glanced up at her and frowned. "I didn't want to wake you."

"Its fine," she replied with a weak smile. "I feel like I've been sleeping forever. What happened?"

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "Potter cast some spell I've never heard of." He reached forward so that he could take her hand and entwine their fingers. "How are you feeling?"

She ignored his concern. "But why were you and Harry fighting?"

"He found out about us. I don't know how but he did."

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "And his first reaction was to fight you, of course. I'll have to talk to him later."

He just looked at her for a long moment before he brought up something that needed to be addressed. "You jumped in front of that spell for me. That was incredibly stupid. You can't do that ever again," he told her sternly. "What if it had been an Unforgiveable Curse?"

"I can't promise you I won't do it again."

He sighed in frustration. "You are infuriating."

She smiled teasingly before she said, "In second year, Harry and Ron took Polyjuice Potion and spent time with you in the Slytherin Common Room."

His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in shock. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," she laughed, "we were trying to figure out if you were the Heir of Slytherin."

"Well then," he responded in surprise. "What else have you three done over the years? Anything else you wanna tell me that's going to turn my world upside down?" He asked jokingly. She licked her lips, and Draco could see the wheels turning in her head. "What is it? What are you thinking?"

"I really care about you," she told him in a whisper.

He tried to keep the smile off of his face as a flurry of conflicting emotions hit him. It seemed that, like him, she was incapable of telling him those three important words. But the sentiment was clear. She didn't need to say them for him to know, and he loved her too. "Oh Granger," he sighed. "I'm afraid that you're going to be the end of me." He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead. "Now go back to sleep."

"Will you stay?" She asked desperately.

He nodded. "I will."

**A/N: **What do you think of the change from canon? Please leave a review! :)


	30. The Hospital Wing

**A/N: **I apologize for the wait and for this being one of the shortest chapters in this story. I was recently inspired by my visit to London so hopefully that will continue until this story is finished. There's not that much left!

Thanks for sticking with me and thanks for the reviews! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 30 – The Hospital Wing**

Hermione was required to spend the next three nights in the hospital wing, so that was where Draco spent his nights too. He carefully and skillfully avoided Madam Pomfrey and managed to sleep in her bed undetected. Nobody noticed him sneaking out of his dormitory and if they did, they didn't seem to care. He prided himself on being fairly sneaky and elusive so he hoped that his movements had gone totally unnoticed by his fellow Slytherins.

"What happened in Arithmancy today? Potions?"

Draco rolled his eyes as he rubbed her lower back while her head rested on his shoulder. She hadn't stopped nagging him about their lessons since he had arrived. He could tell that even Crookshanks, who was lying at their feet, was getting fed up. "Will you stop," he sighed. "You can worry about that when you're well again. How are you feeling today?"

She shrugged. "Fine, I suppose. Maybe a little weak. I'd like to get out of here soon."

"Tomorrow morning," he answered trying to sound chipper.

She glanced up at him with a furrowed brow and he knew that he had given himself away. "What's wrong, Draco?"

"Nothing," he answered evasively.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

_**Three days earlier...**_

"Come in, Draco," Snape called from inside his office.

The blonde boy stepped inside and immediately asked the first question that came to mind. "What in the bloody hell did Potter cast? I've never seen a curse like that!"

"Never you mind," the Potions Master drawled. "I've dealt with Potter."

That answer did not satisfy Draco but he sat down in the chair opposite the desk anyway. "So what did you call me here for?"

"The Vanishing Cabinet," he began, "is it ready?"

Draco nodded slowly. "Yes, I think so."

He had successfully moved an apple to the other side and it had returned to him with a bite taken out of it. He was planning on trying to transport a small bird later tonight but he was confident that he had finally repaired the odd contraption. "I just have one more thing left that I need to try."

Snape pursed his lips and nodded in approval. "Good. The Dark Lord feels that the time to act is approaching. He is getting quite impatient."

A sense of dread settled in Draco's stomach at the realization that he was actually going to have to go through with this. There was no getting out of it now. There was no changing the Dark Lord's mind. A small part of him had been clinging to the hope that something would change and that everyone's plans involving him would change as well. Maybe he would be able to finish his year like a normal student and not as a Death Eater.

Now it seemed naive that he had even had those thoughts to begin with. He had known exactly what he had been getting himself into when his mother had brought him to his godfather's house before the school year had even begun.

"Are you ready?"

He raised his head to meet his godfather's gaze. "Can you ever be ready to do something that you absolutely do not want to do?"

The dark-haired man exhaled heavily and clasped his hands together. "Never," he answered honestly. "The right thing is never easy."

"Is this the right thing though?" Draco snapped.

"It has to be," Snape replied after a pause. "You have no other choice."

Draco sighed heavily before he got to his feet and headed towards the door.

"Draco," Snape called once he had laid his hand on the doorknob. "It has been abundantly clear that you did not heed my warning about Miss Granger."

The boy's shoulders tensed as he turned the knob of the door. He had nothing to say to that because he knew that his godfather had said that just to get a rise out of him. If he truly cared about it then he would have yelled or worse. He left Snape's office feeling both angry and downtrodden. His godfather was messing with his head and he had to let Death Eaters into Hogwarts. His school. His home. Potter was certainly going to question his loyalty then, and Hermione would feel betrayed. He walked towards the Room of Requirement with a purpose and a resolve. He didn't want to do this but he had no other choice.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

"You're being really quiet," Hermione chimed in. "Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"I'm sure," he repeated sternly. "And I'm not the only one that's been really quiet, are _you _sure nothing's wrong?"

Well, her best friend had jinxed her and she had almost died. There was definitely something wrong with that. And both Harry and Ron had been acting very strange since their first visit. She was sure that something was going on with both of them, she just didn't know what. She was positive that she would make it her mission to find out once she was allowed back in Gryffindor Tower.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

_**Three days earlier...**_

"Why are you looking at me like that, Harry?" Hermione asked in exasperation.

Her dark-haired friend furrowed his eyebrows and sighed. He was clearly deep in thought and having trouble finding his words. "I just...I thought...it's like I don't even know you anymore, Hermione."

She huffed angrily and sat up in her hospital bed. "How can you say that? What would make you say that?"

"Because you kept this huge secret!" He almost shouted. "Malfoy? Seriously?"

"You wouldn't understand," she implored. "It's different when it's just the two of us." She knew that it sounded cliche but it was the truth. He was almost all bravado. He wasn't half as dark as he claimed to be; not nearly as cold. He was just complex, you needed to break down his walls to really get to know him. "And it was something I felt I didn't have to tell you," she added defensively.

"Well you should have," he scoffed. "I was just starting to like the git."

Hermione had to crack a smile at that.

"How long has this been going on?" He asked after a pause.

"Since before Christmas. Since Ron and Lavender Brown," she added guiltily.

"Hermione," he began to scold.

"I know what it sounds like Harry!" She responded quickly. "And it's not like that."

At least not anymore, she thought to herself.

"Besides, he's happy with her," she added somewhat bitterly. She was still unable to hide her distaste for the girl.

"Not anymore," Harry muttered. "They broke up."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. "What? Really?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, he's not really talking about it though."

Hermione pursed her lips. "Well then, maybe he'll be more bearable now."

Harry guffawed and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe."

There was a long silence before Harry spoke again. "I got rid of the Prince's book," he confessed.

"Why?" She asked quietly. He loved that book. He loved the 'Prince'. Why would he get rid of it now after she had been badgering him about it all year? Unless... "Harry," she began slowly. "Is that where you found that spell?" He looked at her and he didn't even need to answer her question, she knew that she was right. "Well, do I even need to say 'I told you so'?"

Harry fixed his glasses as he laughed humorlessly. "I'm only going to let you get away with that because you're lying in a hospital bed. I got detention every Saturday for the rest of the year. Our Quidditch season is over," he told her glumly.

"Well, I'm sorry," she offered.

But the truth was that she wasn't sorry that he had finally gotten rid of that book. It had caused nothing but trouble in her mind and whoever this Prince person was, they were obviously into Dark magic and could not be trusted.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

_**One day earlier...**_

"How are you feeling now, Hermione?" Ron asked tenderly as he sat at her bedside.

"Better," she answered with a small smile. All of her friends had now visited and Ron had been the last one to make an appearance. She had seen Harry and Ginny, and Dean, and Terry Boot, and countless others. Even Professor McGonagall had dropped by. The staff and her close friends knew why she was in the hospital but as far as the majority of the castle was concerned, she had gotten a very serious case of food poisoning.

Ron, however, knew the truth, but he did not know of all the circumstances surrounding the incident. He knew that she had accidentally absorbed a jinx that Harry had fired at Draco, but Harry had lied to him about what exactly they had been fighting about. She and Harry had both agreed that it would be best if Ron was kept in the dark, at least for now. Ron had always been suspicious and wary of Draco, and that had barely changed over the last few months. She did not want to add any fuel to that fire by revealing that she and Draco were...whatever they were. She did not need there to be another duel between him and one of her best friends.

"How is everything?" She countered tentatively after a pause. There was something about being alone with Ron that felt awkward now. It seemed as if their friendship had been irreparably damaged by his relationship with Lavender.

"Boring," he chuckled. "Can't wait for this year to be over."

"Don't say that," she scolded. "Don't wish your time away. We're at war, Ronald, who knows where we'll be next year."

Ron scrunched his nose in distaste. "You've been spending too much time around Malfoy; you're starting to sound like him."

Hermione shifted in her bed uncomfortably. She wasn't sure how to respond to that. Luckily, Ron changed the topic before she had to.

"I was really worried about you," he confessed. "I mean, Harry told me that it was really frightening...all that blood...and if Snape hadn't of shown up...well," he sighed, "I was worried."

She smiled as her eyes drifted to her bed sheets. His small moments of unexpected sweetness still did a bit of a number on her. "Thank you for being worried," she replied.

He smiled his awkward lopsided smile and nodded. "Anytime."

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

"Well, since we're both so quiet then let's just not talk for a little while," she quipped.

Draco laughed as he wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulders. "You can't go more than ten minutes without saying something that I could care less about," he teased. He groaned as she smacked his stomach. "You know I'm right," he laughed.

"I won't talk about school work," she promised.

He looked down at her with a broad grin. "Uh huh, I believe you," he answered sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes but burrowed further into her chest. "I find it comforting, okay?" She revealed. "How I do in school is something that I feel that I have complete control over. I can't say that about many other things in my life right now."

He sighed before he placed a soft kiss on her temple. He knew that she was right and that it was wrong to tease her but it was just so fun to rile her up. Teasing her made him feel like he didn't have a care in the world. "I know," he murmured, "but you're still a know-it-all."

"And you're impossible to like," she retorted.

He laughed and he could even hear Crookshanks purr in agreement. Before he could think of an insult to fire back, she raised her head and pressed her mouth roughly against his.

"Remember when I said I wouldn't beg you for anything?" She asked in a whisper. "I may be taking that back now."

He groaned as she shimmied on top of him. Her feet entwined with his and Crookshanks hissed in disapproval before jumping off of the bed. "Granger," he grunted. "You're supposed to be resting. _That _would not be resting."

"I'm getting out of here tomorrow morning," she pointed out. "I'm fine."

"You were cursed and almost died just a few days ago," he tried to argue.

"I know," she whispered huskily as she started to kiss his neck. "And it makes me want to do this even more."

Draco grabbed his wand and cast a few more precautionary spells before he rolled her onto her back. He entwined their fingers together and pinned both of her hands above her head. "The things that I am willing to do for you," he smirked.

**A/N: **This chapter is more of a filler chapter before big things can happen again. The next chapter has important things going on with Harry (of course) and Draco's birthday!

Please leave a review! :)


	31. Birthdays and Surprises

**A/N: **Thanks for sticking with me and thanks for the reviews! :)

I've altered the time line of the book's events slightly but it doesn't result in any major changes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

**Chapter 31 – Birthdays and Surprises**

Harry left Snape's office after a gruelling and useless detention. Everything was quiet, which meant that the Quidditch match was over. He dreaded going to Gryffindor Tower and seeing all of those disappointed faces. What kind of captain was he? He had gotten himself banned from the one match that really mattered all because he had lost his temper with Malfoy. He was so stupid sometimes.

Gryffindor House _should _be mad at him. He had ruined their season.

He felt even more miserable as he stepped through the portrait of the Fat Lady. What was he supposed to say? However, his head lifted as he was greeted with an excited roar. Everyone in the Gryffindor Common Room was _celebrating_? His eyes zeroed in on Ron, who was still wearing his gear and was holding the Quidditch Cup!

"We won!" He exclaimed triumphantly. "We won!"

Harry stared at him in shock. He couldn't believe it. Gryffindor had won, and without him! They had won with Ginny as Seeker. At the thought of her name, his eyes sought her out. He found her and as soon as their eyes locked, she ran towards him. She threw her arms around his neck and he caught her with a groan and a chuckle. He wasn't sure what prompted his next action, but he disregarded his well thought out plans and all of the reasons why this was a bad idea, and the fifty or so other people in the room who were watching them. Perhaps he channelled some of Malfoy's advice because he kissed her, and it wasn't a quick, innocent, friendly kiss. It was the kiss that he had been thinking about for months.

He kissed her like he meant it and he didn't remember much after that. He barely reflected on the fact that Gryffindor had just won the Quidditch Cup.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione glanced at her watch again as she waited as patiently as she could for Draco to meet her at the top of the Astronomy Tower. She knew that it was dangerous and reckless to be out of her room this late, but she couldn't resist risking it tonight. In ten minutes it would be Draco's seventeenth birthday. It was a wizarding milestone that deserved to be celebrated.

She lifted her head when she heard footsteps on the staircase. "I was getting worried you weren't coming," she whispered.

"I had to wait for Blaise to fall asleep," he replied.

"Understood." He approached her slowly and once he was within arms reach, she pulled him into a tight hug. She pressed her face against his chest and inhaled his distinct scent. She had a feeling that all too soon she wouldn't be able to have a moment like this.

"Something wrong, Granger?" He asked in concern as he threaded a hand through her thick hair.

"No," she murmured. "I just want to do this for a minute."

He didn't question her after that.

She held onto him for several more minutes before she whispered, "Happy birthday."

He looked down at her with a smile. "Is that why you called me up here?"

"Of course," she answered in a groan. "You're of age now. That matters."

He stepped out of her hold and shrugged. "It matters because the trace is off me now, but not much else."

Hermione frowned in disappointment. "Well I got you a present anyway." She reached behind her and grabbed a wrapped present off of the floor. She handed it to him and knew that he would be able to tell immediately what it was by the weight of it.

"More books," he smiled, "thank you."

"I think you'll enjoy them," she told him rather timidly. She could tell that he was on edge about something. Despite his attempts to smile and appear as if everything was fine, she could tell that he was coiled like a snake ready to strike. "Draco, what's wrong?" She finally asked. She had hoped that tonight would be a fairly happy occasion, they hadn't had many opportunities to be alone together since she had gotten released from the hospital wing, but she couldn't ignore the troubled look on his face.

He turned his back on her and looked out over the school's grounds. "I don't think I can see you tomorrow, and after that I don't know," he told her quietly.

She tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He spun around and narrowed his eyes. "You know what I mean," he snapped.

She sighed before nodding. "Yeah, I know." Since they had started working with Draco she knew that the chances of seeing him once the year was over were slim. She almost knew that regardless of any outcome, she, Harry and Ron would be going one way and Draco the other. "What's happening tomorrow?"

"I have to do something and it will change...everything..."

"What's happening?" She asked impatiently as she stepped towards him.

"If I told you to stay in your bedroom and not go poking around tomorrow night, would you listen to me?" He asked quietly.

"Of course not," she replied quickly.

Draco was unable to hide a small grin. "Of course not," he said mostly to himself.

"Is it about your mission?" She asked even though she already knew the answer.

He continued to grin as he took a step towards her, bringing them within arms reach. "You are far too smart for your own good, you know that?"

She opened her mouth to retort but he quickly covered it with his own. He kissed her desperately, with more need than he ever had before and instantly, her worst fears were confirmed. He was prepared to run, or worse. The kiss slowed as he slipped his hands underneath the back of her skirt and she melted against his chest.

"I left some things for you in our room," he spoke breathlessly once he had pulled away from the kiss. "Get them when it is safe."

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" She begged as her grip tightened around his waist.

He shook his head solemnly. "I can't. You know that I can't."

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" She persisted.

"You are infuriating," he chuckled. He kissed her again before he grew solemn once more. "You need to hide your parents, okay? They know where you live."

She gulped in fear. "They do?"

He nodded in confirmation. "So as soon as you can you need to get them out of England."

She took a deep breath as she felt almost all of the air leave her body. She had known for a while now that she would be deeply involved in this war, and she had accepted the dangers that accompanied that. She had accepted the dangers of being Harry Potter's friend since first year. But her parents were not a part of this world, and they didn't deserve to be hunted by Death Eaters. She didn't know what she was going to do.

As if sensing the worrisome questions in her head, Draco gently grasped her chin between his slender fingers and whispered, "If anybody can figure it out, it's you. Brightest witch of the age," he added teasingly.

She dug her fingers into his waist in response. "Knock it off!"

"I'm serious," he insisted, "which is why you need to help Potter figure out all this Horcrux business. He needs you, no matter what he says."

"I know," she smiled knowingly. "We're in this together."

There was a long silence before he spoke again. "I have something that I want to give you."

"What?" She laughed. "It's your birthday!"

"This...this is different," he explained weakly. He pulled his Malfoy family ring off of his finger and conjured a thin chain with his wand. He slipped the ring onto the chain and offered the makeshift necklace to her. "I want you to wear this." She looked up at him in confusion so he elaborated. "I got it for my birthday when I was five, and so of course as a boy I was careless and a little forgetful so my father cast a charm on it. It's impossible for me to lose it, so if you have this I will at least know that you're safe."

She loved that he cared more than he was usually willing to show. It made him exasperating, but also very interesting and rewarding to know. He was more complicated than most people gave him credit for. She kissed him hungrily before she grabbed the necklace and clasped it around her neck. She tucked the ring beneath her shirt with a smile. "Yes, I'll wear it."

"Thank you," he murmured. "We should really head back to our dormitories now."

She nodded in agreement but didn't move an inch. She didn't want to let go. She took a single step backwards and Draco instinctively grasped her hand. She looked down at their joined hands with a shy smile. He didn't want to let go either. They had grown even closer through his visits during her stay in the hospital wing and the thought of him leaving made her stomach ache.

"Stay safe, Granger."

"You too." She paused before she asked, "Are you sure everything changes tomorrow?"

"I am sure," he answered dejectedly.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco awoke early the following morning and decided to take one of his new books to the Slytherin Common Room. There were quite a few things that he wanted to do today. He wanted to fly around the Quidditch Pitch and walk the castle grounds, he wanted to have a large breakfast in the Great Hall, he wanted to speak with Daphne...he wanted to says his goodbyes of sorts, but he would start with reading a book.

He had only gotten to page five when Theodore sleepily walked into the room. He yawned and scratched his chest as he took a seat on the sofa beside him.

"Something wrong, mate?" He asked.

Draco shook his head as he turned down the corner of the page that he was on and closed the book. "No, there's nothing wrong. I just couldn't sleep any longer."

Theo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I've ever been," he retorted.

"If something _was_ wrong, would you tell me?"

"If I could," Draco responded honestly.

Theo seemed to understand his underlying message because he nodded and turned his gaze to the floor. "I get it. Whatever you've been doing all year is finally coming to a head."

Draco didn't comment but he really didn't need to.

"Well, good luck and try not to get yourself killed."

Draco involuntarily chuckled at that. "I will try my best."

Theo smirked, "That's all I'm asking."

The dark-haired boy slowly got to his feet and tightly clapped his friend's shoulder. Draco looked up at him and they had an unspoken exchange that only close friends could have. Draco was glad that they didn't have to say anything else because he wasn't sure what he would say. He wasn't good, or used to, this kind of thing. He couldn't imagine that Theo had much experience in these matters either. His friend was an outspoken young man but he didn't talk about his feelings a lot either. Theodore Nott Sr. certainly wasn't a warm and fuzzy type of parent.

They were two Slytherins, and they genuinely cared about each other, but they would never be able to say it out loud.

"I'm gonna go back to bed," Theo finally laughed. "I'll see you in the Great Hall?"

Draco nodded before he watched his friend leave and then resumed reading his book.

Draco went about the rest of the day exactly as he had intended until he reached the last item on his agenda: talking to Daphne. After supper they sat next to each other near the Black Lake and lazily threw stones into the water.

Eventually Daphne grew tired of the small talk and asked him, "Why did you bring me here, Draco?"

He laughed it off at first. "What? I can't ask you to spend time with me?" She quickly arched an eyebrow and his chipper facade abruptly fell. He picked up a stone and threw it as hard as he could. He waited until he heard a splash before he spoke. "Tonight may be my last night at Hogwarts."

She stared at him with wide, confused eyes. "What?"

"I can't tell you much more than that," he sighed, "but I wanted you to know, and I know that you'll tell Theo and I want him to know too."

It was much easier for him to talk about this with her, but that didn't diminish his relationship with Theo. At least not in his mind. He considered Theo and Daphne to practically be the same person anyway, they told each other everything.

She huffed in annoyance. "And that's all you're gonna tell me?"

"It's for the best," he responded, and his annoyed tone matched hers. "I want to tell you but that's _all _that I can tell you. I don't want to bring you into this." He felt like he owed Theo and Daphne an explanation, they were his too closest friends after all, but he didn't want to endanger them. Their fathers were Death Eaters but _they _hadn't pledged their service to the Dark Lord. No, that was just him.

She gently smacked his arm before she ran a hand through her long hair. "Come on Draco, we're all already in this."

"Not as deep as I am," he muttered. "I may as well be Potter at this point," he added with a laugh. Daphne couldn't stop herself from laughing at that one and it made him smile. "See? You can't be mad at me for very long."

She hit him again. "And I hate that about you!"

He chuckled before he tossed an arm around her shoulders and leaned in to press a kiss to her temple. "Thank you for being a good friend to me," he whispered.

She grabbed his hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "You're not so bad," she told him with a sad smile. "Be safe, okay?"

He nodded and gave her a reassuring smile but he knew that task was easier said than done.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco took a deep breath as he stepped into the Room of Requirement around seven o'clock. He clutched his wand tightly in his right hand as he approached the Vanishing Cabinet. He had gotten word that Dumbledore had left the grounds with Potter, as planned. They were after a Horcrux, which pleased him, but their absence meant that it was time.

Time for him to set in motion what he had been preparing for all year.

Time for him to complete the most difficult task that he could ever imagine.

It was time for him to change the course of this war, but he still did not know if it would be for better or worse.

There had always been two parts to his mission. The first had been frustrating and time consuming but it hadn't weighed on him: repair the Vanishing Cabinet. He had done that and now he was about to use it. It was the second, and most crucial, part of his mission that he had actively pushed out of his mind.

He had to kill Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of all time. He wasn't sure what Snape and Dumbledore had planned to try to get them all out of this one, while maintaining his and Snape's covers, but he supposed that he would see tonight. He would feel more confident if he knew exactly what was going to happen tonight, but he didn't. But he did trust Snape, so he was going to have to put some faith into that relationship in order for this to work.

**A/N: **I know that you can guess what's going to happen next! Only 2 chapters left! Also, I would like to say that I am not a personal fan of the Harry/Ginny relationship, but it allows Harry and Draco to connect on a level that is necessary for this story.

Please leave a review! :)


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